Iron Heart
by RebelCris
Summary: Of course Kamijou Touma didn't dreamed to be in a real battlefield though he accidentally joins the JSDF after graduating in high school. But despite passing the Ranger and Special Force Group courses, he founds out life under the bullet isn't white and black. Nevertheless, he's determined to live by his ideals. Meanwhile, his love ones can only hope for his safety while he's away.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

It was just supposed to be another sunny day in the borders of the Golan Heights.

Spanning about 1,800 square kilometres (690 sq mi), the Golan Heights is a basaltic plateau bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon with Mount Hermon in the north and Wadi Raqqad in the east; and as a geopolitical region, the Golan Heights is the area captured from Syria and occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War, territory which Israel effectively annexed in 1981. This region includes the western two-thirds of the geological Golan Heights and the Israeli-occupied part of Mount Hermon.

Which lead to an intergovernmental organization called the United Nations to call upon friendly nations to send troops to the troubled region which they are called the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force.

Often times, these UN peacekeepers needed to be accompanied by either the Israel Defense Forces or the Syrian Arab Army against Islamists hardliners.

Which lead to this—

"Such misfortune!"

The tranquil atmosphere of the cold dawn was shattered by a rocket-propelled grenade smashing through the first gate of the UN compound. Immediately, the familiar Type III camouflage of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force was donned by its members as their Type 89 assault rifles began to fire back.

"Off all times, this stupid thing jammed right now!"

The voice of the unlucky Kamijou Touma was heard—wait, what was he doing here?

"I'm just supposed to be a cook here, right?" Kamijou cried softly as he was forced to switch to his backup Minebea PM-9 submachine gun. "Why did I ended up here in the battlefields?!"

As he sprays 9mm rounds, he found himself wondering…

_Why the hell did Japan ended up getting involved in this?! _


	2. Unexpected Decision

_Replies for reviews_

_Sleipnir - To be honest, it was partially inspired by the anime GATE so I hope you enjoy the next chapter._

_whwsms - Yeah, it would be a Touma x Himegami with slight Touma x Seiri. Got some ideas from DOTS_

_awardedall - Who knows..._

* * *

A certain high school's graduation ceremony was quite fervent.

Inside the auditorium which can fit the whole school, was an old-fashioned piano. It played along as the graduating students made their entrance, sang their school song, and even when they received their diplomas. As the calm atmosphere continued, there was finally a break for the student representative of the graduating class to make their speech.

All of the students had their eyes on her as she walked onto the podium. The microphone was adjusted to the principal's height, so the student adjusted it to her own height. For her age, she was tall (but not that tall) at 165 cm.

No, rather than tall it was more fitting to say that she had a powerful aura surrounding her. After all, the one who was standing on the podium was Class 3 – 7's fearsome Iron Wall Girl with a shiny forehead, Fukiyose Seiri.

"To think that Fukiyose would be the one giving the speech…" muttered Kamijou Touma, the God of Pestilence, to Tsuchimikado and Aogami. Besides those three, the others around them are also wearing their togas.

"She's our class valedictorian. What'd ya expect, nya…" Tsuchimikado explained as he folds up the sleeves of his toga.

Being covered by the eyes of the whole school, Fukiyose showed no sign of stage fright or nervous breakdown, and her back was straight as she continued to read her speech. Even her contents weren't sentences she copied from somewhere. She talked about her personal experiences and used her own words. Having no mistakes, it was a dignified speech that she prepared so well.

"It has a majestic feeling, doesn't it?" Aogami softly whispered in admiration while still in disbelief that he somewhat managed to graduate with all of his low marks.

It was speech that left a deep impression on a lot of the students.

* * *

After the graduation, all of the students began to take photos with one another as others are already going home to their respective prefectures. But for the five people consisting of Kamijou, Fukiyose, Tsuchimikado, Aogami, and Himegami Aisa, the Deep Blood, their struggle in life had just begun.

"Seiri, I didn't expect that you're basically a carbon-copy of your mother…" Himegami commented while they were both eating parfait.

"Could you please stop with those carbon copy comments…" Fukiyose got irritated as everyone seemed to be telling her the same thing. Though in Himegami's defense, one could actually mistake Fukiyose's mother as her eldest sister and Kamijou was one of those who almost took that bait.

"By the way, are you already sure with your course?" Himegami asks once more.

Fukiyose nodded proudly as she grins. "Luckily, this school has a college branch so we would all have little difficulty in processing some documents. Now that we have all passed the college entrance exam test, I would be sure to stand out at our freshmen to attain a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)."

"Ah…so you're planning to become a nurse, Seiri? I took that as well." Himegami replies.

"Ah, that would suit the two of you!" Tsuchimikado praises them as he eats his barbeque. "As for the me and Aogami, we'll…uh…to be honest, we're not sure yet of what major we will get so just join some random clubs this first year."

"So likely of you…" Fukiyose sighed as she already expected this kind of behaviour form two of the Three Idiot Trio. But if Tsuchimikado said only him and Aogami, then…

"Kamijou-kun, you're awfully quiet for today…" Himegami just had to break the peace of the boy beside her, who seemed to be in daze as is he is in deep thought. "We're taking about our courses for college. What would you get?"

"Huh? Ah…oh…" Kamijou was surprised for the moment before processing Himegami's question. "Well…to be honest…I'm in the same situation as Tsuchimikado although I won't actually take college here…"

The last four words took the other four by surprise.

"Heh?!" Tsuchimikado nearly choked in his parfait. "Kami-yan, you got to be joking, right? I mean, we all decided to attend one university here in Academy City and you're breaking off with us…"

"Besides, you have already taken the exam here." Fukiyose raised her eyebrows at the boy with spiky hair. "What's the deal?"

"Actually, I passed another written examination outside Academy City…" Kamijou didn't know if it's already the perfect time to reveal it. "I still have to…"

Suddenly, in the television of the restaurant where they are eating, news suddenly showed up.

_Breaking news! The Japanese Diet has already approved the amendment of the 1947 constitution's Article 9 about the renunciation of war. Prime Minister Shigehiro Kouji had a speech to the parliament about the recent challenges that led to the reconfiguration of the constitution, such as the dispute at the Senkaku Islands, the attacks of Japanese citizens in the Middle East by hardline Islamists, and the threat of rocket barrage by North Korea. Stay tuned for more updates!_

"Well…that was bad…" Tsuchimikado muttered as he sips the bowl of the dessert.

"Not only bad, it's disgusting." Fukiyose didn't hesitate to let out her distaste for the Japanese military. "I mean, who would even want to be in a boot camp where you're only allowed to follow orders without question."

"Is that why you agreed to join a protest here in Academy City against that redefinition of the law?" Himegami asked.

"Correction. Everyone here in school was asked to participate." Aogami remembered marching under the hot sun while holding a placard that says "No to War."

While they were all speaking, Kamijou sighed as he then zips his mouth. _This is the reason why I don't want to mention what academy I will enter. _

As they continued to eat, Kamijou's phone suddenly vibrated and as soon as he pulls it out ans checks the message, he then sighed as it was coming from none other than Academy City's third ranked Level Five, the Railgun Misaka Mikoto. "_Oi, you idiot. What course will you take?_" She asks rather rudely.

The boy snorted as he types. "_Still undecided, Misaka._" He partially lied as he knew she would oppose to his decision. He actually saw her in the same protest that Fukiyose and the others were discussing a while back.

He then turns off the battery of the phone as he then mutters how he was relieved that he and Misaka only spent one year in high school together at his own school. Take note, at his school not in Nagatenjouki or Kirigaoka which are more prestigious schools.

_Ah right, I still have to talk to Index and Othinus about this…_

He then remembers a certain poster he had saw a month back.

* * *

"_Dammit, I still have to choose a course…" Kamijou groaned one day as he was busy carrying his shopping bag with Index and Othinus._

"_Neh, Touma, what is a course?" Index asks._

"_A course is something that you get in college as a preparation for the next level of life." Kamijou explains. "Though it seems that I haven't yet decided on a major. The only skill that I'm confident off is street fighting and cooking but the university branch of our school doesn't even teach something as boorish as that." _

_Suddenly, they pass by a poster which happened to be a recruitment poster of Japan's Ministry of Defense. It says. "Wanted: Culinary staff at the JGSDF's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade marine unit. Enroll now at the National Defense Academy of Japan!"_

_As Kamijou read the poster, he then saw one enticing offer: students who are enrolled at the NDA are being paid by the Ministry of Defense as employees. _

"_Human, we are standing in the middle of the sun so what are you looking at?" Othinus grumbled as she fans herself._

_Yet, in Kamijou's mind, he had made up his decision._

_A decision that was based both on his expectations and some sort of a misunderstanding._

* * *

"I think I had made a rash decision…" Kamijou muttered to himself as he cried softly.

* * *

**NATIONAL DEFENSE ACADEMY OF JAPAN, Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture**

It was just the first day in the military academy and the moment Kamijou Touma, with his hair jelled slightly to be acceptable with his superiors, had entered the campus ground, he saw his fellow cadets now being lined by their corps commander as there were still others who are running to join the rank-and-file. The plebes, with some of them now bald, are all being ruthlessly tortured verbally by their commanding officer as a part of the ritual before entering the academy.

"Shit…I don't want to be killed…" Kamijou murmured as he blamed his tardiness over Index not wanting to release her partner so early.

As he then lines up, their CO had just coincidentally blew his whistle and then said. "Now, before you enter this academy, give me at least 100 push-ups! Now!"

_Wow. So merciless. _Kamijou groaned as he dropped himself down on the floor and began to push himself in the grass. Soon, the other cadets began to follow suite.

_These four years in the military academy would be nothing short of hardships. _

As he eventually finishes his 100 push ups, he then thought.

_Now that I think of it, what happened to Tsuchimikado and the other guys? _


	3. Two Different Universes

_Replies for reviews_

_whwsms - In due time, that is._

_Sleipnir - Yep. Honestly felt it's one of the underrated animes. _

_BlueJack22 - Thanks for the support. I hope you like it._

_Sergio644 - __Thanks for the support. I hope you like it._

_Sleipnir - Maybe some other time, I can write one. _

* * *

**SCHEDULE OF A CERTAIN UNIVERSITY IN ACADEMY CITY**

(M-W-F)

7:00 a.m. – **Start of Morning Classes** **for Block 1**

9:30 a.m. – **General Lectures in Health**

11:00 a.m. – **General History**

1:00 p.m. – **Start of Afternoon Classes Block 2**

2:30 p.m. – **Communications**

4:00 p.m. – **Social Studies**

(T-Th)

7:00 a.m. – **morning classes/Physical Education (Fitness Education) for Block 1**

9:30 a.m. – **Communications**

11:00 a.m. – **Social Studies**

1:00 p.m. – **Start of Afternoon Classes for Block 2**

2:30 p.m. – **General Lectures in Health**

4:00 p.m. – **General History**

* * *

**SCHEDULE OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE ACADEMY OF JAPAN**

0600 **Reveille**

605 **Roll Call**

0610－0630 **Cleaning**

0635－0720 **Breakfast**

800 **Morning Colors (Raising the Flag)**

810 **Formation for Morning Class**

0830－1140 **Morning Class (Basic Military History, Physical Education: Long-Distance Swimming, basic military drill, individual combat training, basic rifle handling,) **

1200 **Lunch**

1300 **Formation for Afternoon Class**

1315－1715 **Afternoon Class (General Education, Military Science, field duty, cutter, first aid)**

1715－1830 **Extracurricular Activities (Preparation for the Cutter Race in the Uraga Channel) **

1730 **Evening Colors (Lowering the Flag)**

1730－1915 **Bath**

1800－1915 **Dinner**

1940 **Roll Call**

2000－2210 **Private Study Period**

2230 **Taps**

* * *

Ever since entering their university, Fukiyose Seiri felt like it was just déjà vu.

This was because majority of their class had all decided to take BSN as their main choice while others didn't fare well in their first choice and took it as their second. Surprisingly, even Tsuchimikado and Aogami decided to take up nursing as well since the former said that by stocking with their familiar group, they would be able to transition to college easily and without any worries.

It also helped that they are a block section and surprisingly, the former students of Komoe were all retained in one block which is sort of lousy for some and practical for others. The pinkette teacher even felt nostalgic when she once visited their class since she claimed it was fate that made them stick together until they all graduate.

Well, she must have forgotten one of her former students

Right now, Fukiyose and Himegami were busy jotting down notes on their Health class, With all of them wearing uniform pantsuits, scrubs and white rubber shoes, it has become more comfortable for them to attend classes as the material of their clothing is light and allows fresh air to pass through. As they were all writing their notes, the Iron Wall Girl can't help but snort in disgust as she saw Tsuchimikado and Aogami merely sleeping in their class.

"They have never changed." Fukiyose gritted her teeth. "Not at all. Later, I'll give them my finest Glasgow Kiss."

"What's a Glassgow Kiss?" Himegami asked as she folds her notebook.

"Remember how I had to set straight their other idiot." Fukiyose explains. "It would be twice the power for them."

"I see..."

At this moment, the professor stopped writing notes and began to talk to the now-bored class. But as he was speaking, the loud snoring of Tsuchimikado, who was even sitting in front of the class, disrupted what was supposed to be a peaceful exchange of ideas and the professor had no choice but to violently wake him up with his meterstick.

"Oww, who hit me in the—" The blonde's sudden complaint was muffled down by the angry eyes of the professor, whose gorilla-like muscular body effectively shut down any form of resistance to him.

"Tsuchimikado, this is not a time to sleep!" The professor was literally screaming at the blonde, who covered his ears in jest. "If you would sleep, get out of my class!"

As the professor resumed speaking, Tsuchimikado turned to Aogami, who is now wide awake and snarled. "Oi, Aogami! Why didn't you warn, nya! You were also sleeping as well so why didn't he smack you in the end?!"

"He caught you and his smack to your head woke me up." The bluenette grinned as he then began to doodle in his notebook. "Honestly…"

"Can't you two just shut up?!" Fukiyose had to crack her knuckles to silence the two members of the Delta Force. "We're in a middle of a discussion here with the professor so zip up!"

"Yes, ma'am!" The two idiots replied and sat correctly on the chair.

After their last morning class for the day has ended, every one of the students were now going out of the classroom in lively spirits as they were finally finished for the day after what looked like to be a boring day for all of them. With that said, both Fukiyose and Himegami decided to go to a nearby dessert shop to refreshen themselves and Tsuchimikado and Aogami opted to go with them. As the four were not seated on the table while waiting for their orders, Hiemgami suddenly brought up someone who should be with them but who isn't.

"I'm wondering what happened to Kamijou-kun." Himegami began as she shyly asks Tsuchimikado. "The whole class has decided to try out Nursing so I'm curious as to what he course he get."

"Obviously, the idiot is also acting foolishly like these two with us." Fukiyose scoffs as she drinks a bottle of Musashino milk. "I just can't imagine him going to a decent college since he said he left Academy City. Tsuchimikado, don't you have an update from him?"

"Well, I got Kami-yan's number but it looks like it would take a while to reach him." Tsuchimikado explains as he puts his foot on the table. "But ya know…I'm pretty sure he's doing fine without any one of us. The fact that he chose to take a route different from ours is a sign that he would just be fine when he gets a taste of the real world. He had survived his high school life while having a lot of absences."

"Well, college is different!" Fukiyose suddenly yells at him. "What makes you think he would survive it with his usual complaints about his laziness wrapped in the false conception of misfortune?! The fact that we're all in a tight lease with one of the best professors here just shows how high-level Academy City is. He's just being—"

"Seiri…" Himegami suddenly intervenes. "Why are you acting so violent towards him? It's not like he's with us…"

"Well, someone has to explain what's wrong with their friend!" Fukiyose defends herself. "And no, there's nothing between the two of us!"

"Oh, but you're being defensive…" Aogami points it out.

"Sh-Shut up!" Fukiyose's face flared in red as she wraps herself with her arms.

"But well, I do have an idea on where he is." Tsuchimikado whistles.

"What? Where he is, Tsuchimikado-kun?" Himegami asked with her eyes wide open.

"Well, it would be better if I talk to him about it. I don't like spreading rumors." The blonde gave a vague message as he laughs. Fukiyose only dismisses him as she finally gets her order. As the rest of them began to eat, Tsuchimikado can't help it but think.

_Fancy seeing you at Kanagawa, Kami-yan. Well, Fukiyose won't really forgive you if that's true. _

* * *

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8!"

The shouts of a certain commanding officer can be heard early in the morning as he was standing a top of a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) that is usually being used by members of Japan's counterterrorist police force. On the background, a Hayabusa-class guided missile patrol boat(1) passes by the boundary between the Uraga Channel and Tokyo bay as the sun wasn't even up. And not only he wasn't standing into it; it was hoisted up the cadets of the NDA as it served as their early morning exercise. Each boat was hoisted up by eight cadets each and it wasn't a joke, to be frank.

Kamijou Touma's arms began to strain.

After waking up early, he was forced to find food for Othinus, who decided to go with him to serve as his guardian in their Cadet Quarters number 2. Kamijou even remembered Index angrily complaining as to why she cannot go with them as well and he was forced to explain her circumstances and that of Othinus'. After the reveille was heard, they were ordered to go here in the beach instead of the usual clean up. And right now, they were told to carry the RHIB's as part of their exercise.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8!" The CO blared in his mircrophone as he was really sadistic in his orders.

"Such misfortune…" Kamijou muttered as he witnesses one of his fellow plebes began to faint.

After the RHIB exercise, everyone was now ordered to go back to their quarters for a quick shower before the simultaneous breakfast at the cadet mess hall. As he was jogging, a fellow freshman suddenly ran up to him and began to jog as well.

"Heh, this training is really hard, Kamijou!"

"Yeah, you're right. What made you join the JSDF anyway, Kurata?"

This fellow cadet's name was Kurata Rikichi or Riki by his family, a native of Hokkaido and a son of two dairy farmers. Being the eldest of three siblings, he took pride at the fact that his grandfather was also a former member of the JSDF and he took it upon himself to continue a family legacy.

Coincidentally, both Kamijou and Kurata are in the same quarter, meaning they are roommates.

"Grandfather would be happier if I serve in the military." Kurata explained as they jogged their way to their quarters. "Besides, I dreamt of becoming a soldier even since I was young. You?"

"Me?"

"Yes. Why did you enter the JSDF?"

"Eh? Actually, it's due to misfortunate circumstance that I wouldn't want to talk about…" He was still feeling like a fool that he took the NDA entrance exam on hopes that he would become a military cook. He later learned that it would probably take him three years for that to happen and that he still needs to take regular sessions like the rest of the plebes. And even if he does takes three years, it would only be possible if he managed to top all of his classes.

"By the way…" Kurata went on. "I heard that our next class would be about handling and aiming Buddy(2) in the shooting range."

"Buddy?" Kamijou obviously didn't understand the slang language being used by the JSDF regulars.

"Ah, I mean we would be taught the basics on how to use a Type 89 assault rifle." The chestnut-haired man laughs. "Do you know that only Japan uses the Type 89?"

"Because America has better weapons?" Kamijou replied dumbly.

"Silly. Because our country had a strict anti-hardware export policy." Kurata explains. "By the way, you're from Academy City, right? Is it true that it's thirty years ahead from the rest of the country?"

"I don't know about thirty years but it's true that some of Academy City's features are really way ahead of its time." Kamijou explains. "For example, we have cleaning robots there while manual cleaning is still being done here."

"That's amazing…" Kurata smiles as they were nearing their cadet quarters. "Oh, by the way, I'm planning to join the JGSDF Special Forces Group when we're done with our four-year course. Let's join!"

"Uh…huh…" Kamijou didn't know what to say as finally they reached their cadet quarters.

Some hours later, they were finally in the Indoor Shooting Range after eating their breakfast at the Cadet Mess Hall. During the entire time, Kamijou was really at the mercy of his bad luck—something that Kurata began to notice. For example, a janitor accidentally spilled liquid soap into the poor boy's mushroom soup. Then there was that moment where he accidentally bumped into one of their COs and almost ended up getting reported to the Disciplinary Committee. Then there was another incident where Kamijou slipped in the floor and his plate ended up landing into the bald head of the academy's most feared president in its history.

Needless to say, he had to do 200 shuttle runs before he can re-join his class.

"Such misfortune, hahaha!" Kurata joked when the boy finally rejoins them and the latter responds by telling him to shut up. "It's not really a good day for me!"

"Attention!" The instructor, First Lieutenant Satou Hiroshi, glared at the cadets and the freshmen saluted in response. "Welcome to the first thing that you'll even handle in a battle, lads!" He then brought out a basic Howa Type 89 Assault Rifle. Introduced in year 1989 to replace the 7.62×51mm NATO Howa Type 64 battle rifle in frontline units, the Type 89 was created in response to a demand for an increased rate of fire, light weight weapon, and the appealing lower recoil of the 5.56×45mm NATO round compared to the heavier 7.62 round.

"Lads, this is a Type 89 rifle or Buddy as we call." Satou explains as he then unlocks the magazine and shows the interior to the present students. "The Type 89 rifle ammunition is interchangeable with the 5.56×45mm SS109/M855 round used by the U.S. Military and NATO. Along with the 7.62×51mm round used in the Type 64 rifle, this allows for interchange ability with ammunition stockpiles of U.S. forces stationed in Japan. Since the ammunition developed for the Type 89 rifle is produced in Japan, it is head stamped with the sakura mark of the JSDF instead of the typical NATO circle-cross used on the SS109/M855 round." He then took out a cartridge and its brass bullet shone brightly.

In a few minutes, all of the students were given a standard Type 89 for them to toy with. Kamijou felt the grips of the rifle were as cold as ice as he then takes a closer look at it. They were then ordered to disassemble the parts and bring it back together as fast.

"I hope I don't get to mess up with this thing." Kamijou whispered to himself as he began to process of removing the selector switch from the on the right side of the lower receiver.

* * *

**1 **– **Hayabusa-class patrol boat: The Hayabusa-class is a guided missile patrol boat class of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The main armament is a pair of SSM-1B ship-to-ship missile twin launchers installed in the stern and a Otobreda 76 mm gun on the front deck. Additionally, two 12.7mm M2 machine guns are installed on the back of the bridge.**

**2 **– **Buddy: A slang term for the Type 89 assault rifle. **


	4. Of Archery and Markmanship

_Replies for reviews_

_BlueJack22 – Very amazing in some ways_

_Guest – Well, he'll really be bound to meet some of them._

_Sleipnir – Off the scene_

_Whwsms – Tsuchimikado's doing it out of fun—in his best friend's expense._

_Rajarshi Sarkar – Nah…he's going to a different organization which is more akin to Black Ops._

_Fencer29 – As always, a nice review. Our dear Touma would be experiencing hell and heaven in his first three months._

* * *

"Very good, Fukiyose-san, Himegami-san!"

Their professor had commended the two, who had reached the average mark of 1.5 in their class. It has been three and a half months into their freshmen year and so far, the two of them were the ones who are standing out in their academics. And this time, they are also killing it in their fitness education class, though it was very obvious that the girl with the large forehead is the one who is winning in their undeclared competition.

"And Tsuchimikado! Repeat it again!" The female professor yelled at the blonde, who is now lazily lying on the floor.

"But sensei, this is too much of a hassle. I don't want to do it!" Tsuchimikado had the nerve to shout and complain as he flails his arms. "Besides, it's more productive to watch the all the cute gals here donning their nursing uniforms. They're so hot in it!"

Everyone froze and couldn't say a word then moment they heard Tsuchimikado's rant. Fukiyose looked like she was ready to carry out her old duty of silencing their batch's most idiot people while Himegami looked apathetic as ever. But before the Forehead Deluxe can even move in her spot, their female professor beat her to it as she immediately ran towards where Tsuchimikado is lying and she tortured him with her _shinai _(a weapon used for practice and competition in kendo representing a Japanese sword.)

"Ouch! Yeah, that's right, Masako-sensei!" The blonde's sudden masochist tendencies also flared up. "Hit me more and I'll love you the better!"

"Do. You. Want. To. Be. In. The. Detention. Center." Professor Masako's voice was dripping with venom.

"Uh…can I still say sorry?" Tsuchimikado finally got serious and tried to ask for her forgiveness.

"No! Tsuchimikado! To the dean's office later!" She then smacked his head with her shinai and continued on with the class. As their fitness class went on, Aogami, who was using a jumping rope, was actually making fun of it. "Howdy!" He shouted as he then loops the rope and tried to roll it but when he mistakenly threw it, in ended up landing into the neck of the one he wouldn't want to piss off all of the sudden.

"Acccck!" Fukiyose, who almost got strangled in her neck, ended up falling in the floor and got knocked out for a few minutes.

"Ehhh?!" Aogami panicked in terror as slowly, the busty girl slowly regained consciousness and once she got up, her eyes were red in rage and fury.

"_Kisama!_"

Aogami tried to run away but he wasn't even far off when Fukiyose managed to catch up and ten minutes later, the poor bluenette ended up with a horribly disfigured face and a cut in his lip.

Nevertheless, classes in Fitness Education ended up and quickly, the class immediately went to the changing rooms to switch back to their nursing clothes as their next two classes was Communications and Social Studies. From there on, it was just another boring day for the whole class. Aogami and Tsuchimikado did manage to attend their class but the former had his face wrapped in bandages while he had to use an ice pack to help decrease the pain. After their last class, Fukiyose and Himegami then packed their bags and waited for the two members of the Delta Force (more like being forced to wait for the former's case) as they all planned to go to a nearby coffee shop that they planned to go to before their first term ends and summer break begins.

Suddenly, Himegami was met outside by Professor Masako, who seemed to be finding her for a serious business.

"Yes, professor?" The Deep Blood asked curiously as Masako seemed to sport an evil grin.

"Have you decided to accept my offer, Hiemgami-san?" The female fitness instructor smiled. "Our team is really down to only 10 members and we would like you to join our archery club."

"But why me, sensei?" Himegami asked further.

"Hmm…because based on what I saw a while back, your body posture and breathing rate is what I was exactly finding from those who join our club." Masako put her hand in her chin. "Plus, you look like the type of person that won't budge even under intense pressure. Archery is all about that. Plus, joining a club can also be a plus points in your credentials."

Himegami, hearing the offer from their Physical Education teacher, promptly smiled for a second and then bowed down his head. _I don't have time for it. I need to find Kamijou-kun first. _The latter person has always been in the mind for the Gemstone since she last saw him in their graduation.

She was about to say "no" when suddenly, Fukiyose butted in. "Aisa, come one. Join the archery club! It would be a productive club for you!" The Iron Wall Girl prods her best friend without even knowing what is actually running on the mind of the gemstone. "Please, accept the offer."

"That's right, Hime-yan!" Aogami rudely said as well as he then tried to touch Himegami. "If you join the archery club, your body curves…agh!" He ended up getting spanked in the face by Fukiyose, who wanted to heard none of the bluenette's perverted words.

"Shut up, you pig!" The busty girl yelled at Aogami. "Don't think I have forgotten what you did a while back!"

Himegami sighs as she sees that she would be forced anyway. "Fine. I accept."

"Yay! Then please report to our club later…oh wait, do you have archery equipment?" Masako asked suddenly.

Himegami only shook her head in reply.

"Then, are you free tomorrow?" The PE teacher asked. "Tomorrow, I presume that you don't have any classes since you only have four days of meeting a week. I'll accompany you then. Fukiyose-san, do you want to come with us tomorrow? You might end up getting interested to join the club as well."

"Hmmm, let go with you then!" Fukiyose replied rather cheerfully.

"Okay girls! We'll go to a far place, you know. We'll go to Kanagawa tomorrow." Masako explains. "There is a certain shop near the National Defense Academy that sells high-quality archery equipment that isn't being sold here. So we'll really have to go outside Academy City. Well, we'll meet here tomorrow at 7 a.m." With that, Masako bades good bye and leaves the teens.

The four teenagers stood quietly at the corridor where Masako left them. And then all of the sudden, Tsuchimikado said something. "The NDA, huh?" Strangely, there was a glint in the shades of the blonde.

"You know that academy, Tsuchimikado?" Aogami asks.

"It's a university for Japan's Self Defense Forces." The blonde explains. "Basically, it is where recruits wishing to become soldiers are being trained. There were even talks about how hard it was to survive that place. Some say that there was a year that out of the 10,000 freshmen recruits who had entered the NDS, only 1,000 or less managed to graduate. And that already includes the irregular students."

"Eh? That's how tough it is?" Aogami said in a distressed way. "Well, I can't imagine Kami-yan being in such place. He's also a slacker like us."

"Besides, no one in Academy City would want to enter such place." Fukiyose scoffs. "And considering Kamijou hasn't even changed his studying habits entering into our graduation, him being in such a tough institution would be like punching the moon."

_We'll see about that. _Tsuchimikado can only shrug in his mind as they walk out of the building.

* * *

Self Defense Offical Cadet Kamijou Touma didn't know why he ended up getting reported in the Main Administration Building of the National Defense Academy.

And with fellow cadet Kurata Riki and three other people.

It might have been because yesterday morning, Kamijou and their class were already training in basic concepts of Urban Warfare as they were all given SOPMOD versions of the Colt M4A1 assault rifle. It has been three and a half-months and that summer was already coming. Yet, despite the short time and the initial dislike for his rash decision to join the JSDF, Kamijou had already been becoming somewhat the ace of the university, much like how Misaka's the ace of Tokiwadai. This was because Kamijou had already topped the school's shooting match competition using a M1911 .45 ACP pistol to consistently hit his target at 100 yards…despite supposedly having to use a Sig Sauer P9 that ended up jamming and almost exploding in his hands.

The Basic Urban Warfare training only added to the lore surrounding the boy with the Imagine Breaker. As if only letting his instincts and sharp sense of smell direct him, he managed to evade all of his targets while taking them down in a "one shot, one kill" philosophy.

"Kyaaa!" Suddenly, all of the few girls who actually joined the military, began to get hooked up with the teen male.

"Woah…Kamijou sure got a lot of rabid female fans…" Kurata, who was in the sidelines while cleaning up his own SOPMOD M4 observed ten women already cheering for him.

"That kid's really a legend of his own. The last time something similar happened a decade ago." A middle-aged instructor was heard talking to his colleague. "Well, he's actually handsome as much as I hate to admit it."

"But these fangirls are beginning to annoy me." Another instructor gritted his teeth.

Kamijou then had indirectly triggered something that has not happened in three decades. Also yesterday in the afternoon, the staff the handles the Urban Warfare course had already released a memo that orders specific trainings would be gender-segregated. This means that all the female cadets would be separated from the male ones. "That's quite fast. I never heard of a memo getting implemented in a single day." A graduating cadet who is bound to be assigned to the Japan Maritime Self Defense Forces muttered in the Cadet Mess Hall.

But aside from his strong physical build and his marksmanship, he also became notorious for one thing aside from his misfortunes which, by the way, have also been spreading through rumors in the whole campus.

He had already defied three COs who are their instructors and had punched two of them.

One of those incidents happened when they were receiving instruction from what is perceived to be a terror CO as they are being taught how to use Krav Maga in unarmed combat when he caught Kamijou drowsing in his class. Incensed at the sight, he then smacked the boy and the latter would have been cowered in fear if not for the insults that the CO was letting out. Angered, he then threw a quick right hood in his chin and this resulted in a punching match in which all the males stood by the boy, saying. "Kamijou! Go, Kamijou Touma!" as they were happy that the terror CO was getting pummeled in the ground. In the end, the CO was suspended after thorough investigations and Kamijou was ordered to do 1000 push-ups, 500 suicides (a type of running back-and-forth), and a community service in Saturday.

Either his marksmanship, his misfortunes, or his violent encounters with his COs can be considered a reason why he was summoned to the President's Office. Either way would have been possible.

"Good morning, sir!" Kamijou saluted as he then answers for his companions' behalf. "Squad Leader Kamijou Touma reporting. All five handsome men complete. No one ill. Everyone healthy!"

In the NDA, there was a tradition that when school starts, there would be groups within the units where they would form squads. The president permits it because according to him, it could improve personal relations with other people.

"Ah, you're here now, Kamijou!" President Kanou Ryusei had replied Kamijou's salute. "Good morning lads! I actually summoned all of you here, especially your squad leader." Being a former SDF member himself, he once served as the Defense Minister some years ago as well as the Lieutenant General in the whole of the SDF, as evident by the three pentagramic stars in his shoulder path.

"Kamijou, your performance here in this academy has come to my attention." Kamou smiled as he then pulls out two printed papers. "As a former plebe myself, I didn't expect someone who could ace his way here in just three months. By the way, good or bad?"

"Eh…" Kamijou was confused first then decided to settle with the bad. _If it's about my misfortunes, then I'll just have to confront it now. At the very least, I'll leave this office with some good news. Such misfortune. _

It turned out that he had guessed correctly. "To start with, despite your outstanding performances, there are also instances where you have committed insubordination and…" Kanou didn't know how to put into words what he had in mind. "Some kind of a strange phenomena where you ended up either messing up random equipment or getting in trouble with other people like what you did when you had a brawl with CO Harada on the Krav Maga class."

He then shoves a paper into Kamijou's hands and the latter cringed when he read it.

* * *

**AN OFFICIAL LIST OF UNWANTED CONDUCT TO THE PRESIDENT CONCERNING THE PERFORMANCE OF SELF DEFENSE OFFICIAL CADET KAMIJOU TOUMA**

**1\. Has been found responsible of vandalism due to the reported damages of the Type 73 Armored Personal Carrier unit number 0011 which was used by Cadet Kamijou in his class. He has also been found responsible for recklessness in handling the official Type 89 assault rifle which ended up having to be sent to Tokyo for repairs.**

**2\. Has been found responsible for almost causing a fire incident in one of the Hayabusa-class patrol boats which was used for their long-distance swimming class. He allegedly and irresponsibly went into the gas turbine engine room where he was changing his clothes. **

**3\. Has been found guilty of reckless behaviour and has brought three Commanding Officers to the hospital.**

**4\. Has been the cause of every disruption of classes due to allegations that female cadets from other classes has been visiting him, causing a sudden halt of progress in their discussions.**

* * *

"Wow, you're already a legend here." Kurata joked in hush voice in which Kamijou replied. "It's not like I wanted all of that to happen, you know…"

"As for the good news, you've been receiving praises from other officers and you can say that it would include me." Kanou replied as he hands another printed copy to Kamijou's hands and the latter reads it.

* * *

**AN OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF OFFICIAL CADET KAMIJOU TOUMA, AS NOTED BY HIS SUPERIORS**

**1\. Has been known for his quiet behaviour in class but active participation in every drill.**

**2\. His marksmanship is described as "Top-Notch" and he is noted by Commanding Officer Hayama Takeo for being versatile enough to handle different kinds of small arms used in all branches of the JSDF, ranging from the official 9mm sidearm to the Howa Type 96 automatic grenade launcher. **

**3\. His behaviour, outside of his violent tendencies, has been described as gentlemanly and that he displayed manners and traits mirroring that of the NDA and JSDF's role model of a Japanese serviceman. **

**4\. Due to his skill being described as "above his peers," Commanding Officer Ayatsuji Kuniharu recommends him to attend acceleration classes as well as admittance to the Ranger course of the JSDF.**

**5\. Staff members saw him as "good enough" to join the Gound Forces' elite Special Forces Group.**

* * *

Actually, there are twenty listed things but he chose not to finish it. "Well…" But when he looked around, he then noticed that he was the only one standing in the room, together with the Kanou. "Huh?! Where is Kurata? Where are the other three?!" He slightly screamed as e desperately looks around.

"Hohohoi." Kanou gave of a Santa Claus-like laugh. "I already dismissed them while you are busy reading that file that they reported to me. Basically, I'm here to tell your four squadmates that like you, they are recommended to also join acceleration classes though you are slightly different…"

"Wait…hold up, sir but…" Kamijou made a sigh. "What's an acceleration class?"

"An acceleration class and a traditional class, although different in many ways, also share similarities." Kanou patiently explains. "Like programs that offer traditional courses, accelerated course programs are available at the diploma, certificate, associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. A major difference is that accelerated courses, like their names suggest, are completed in much shorter time periods than traditional courses. Academic acceleration is the advancement of students designated as gifted in a particular subject which would mean placement at a rate that places them ahead of where they would be in the regular set of courses."

In short, since Kamijou was seen as gifted, the staff of the NDO saw him as a potential to get shipped away from the NDO into the JSDF.

"So that means that I can graduate early?" Kamijou said.

"Not exactly in this university. In terms of graduation, you still had to join your batch mates although your unit load would be significantly decreased." Kanou clarifies. "Considering that there are subjects out there that don't allow acceleration, you can take acceleration classes as a means to lessen the pressure."

"Hnnn. But you know sir, I would still not graduate early." Kamijou sighed. "In fact, I didn't really intend to join this university…"

"Huh? That's news to me." The president was shocked as he then motions the boy to sit down. "Then kindly explain to me how you ended up here in NDO?"

"Well…I just saw an ad about the ARDB needing a cook and the NDO promising a salary." Kamijou scratches his head. "Well, the latter was true but the former…"

Suddenly, the President began to laugh as Kamijou looks at him peculiarly. _Eh? Is there something wrong with what I said?_

"That's very funny young man! Hahahaha!" Kanou can't help it as he helds his now aching chest. "Your remind me of a certain former cadet of ours who left the institution after he claimed that we can't support his singing career. But well, do you actually intend to become a cook alternatively?"

"My plan was supposed to be a cook since I know I excel at that." Kamijou explained himself as he then became ashamed that he was somewhat storytelling his miserable life. "But then, it might be either fate or misfortune that landed me here. Since I'm here, I might as well finish it. SO far, it has been okay for me. Well…except when my misfortune strikes."

"You call your outstanding performances "okay?" It seems that Kanou has taken a personal liking with the boy and he wanted to know more about him. "Well, if you call that okay, then you should try to learn about how other cadets feel when they hit their first shots in a precise way. By the way, I almost forgot, would you or would you not accept acceleration classes?"

"Well…" Kamijou was undecided at that point. "If Kurata says that they will attend, then I guess I should attend as well."

"Pretty much wanting to be with others, heh? To be honest, if I had my way, I would have forced you to join one." The President said as he then takes out a photo. "See this? This was me in one of my acceleration classes. My upperclassmen here are two years older than me."

"Well…"

"Join now kid." Kanou is now persuading him. "And also, if you accept the recommendation of joining the Special Forces Group, then I can sponsor you for a crash course in a culinary school."

"What? Really?"

"It's rare to be recommended in the acceleration programs so if I were in your position, I'd rather strike right now while the iron is hot." Kanou explains as he then pulls out a paper. "It's even rarer to get a recommendation to join the Ranger course and the SFG course this early since normally, a person going through the regular process can only join the SFG after they have joined the 1st Airborne Brigade. Even I didn't get that kind of privilege when I was your age, kid. So what is this misfortune you're always bemoaning? You might as well call yourself blessed or karma might kick you for complaining a lot."

"W-Well…sir…please don't jinx it, then…" The past battles of the boy with spiky hair had been more than enough to not let him fall into complacence as he then contemplates his next decision. "You might not believe it but my bad luck is real."

"Then would you accept?"

"Wait…I haven't…"

"If you accept acceleration classes as well as either the Ranger course or the SFG, you can now skip some subjects since you'll be taking them earlier of on-site the two organizations I mentioned." Kanou explained. "If you accept the deal, I would personally sponsor you in any culinary school you want, although it would only in summer days and it's a crash course."

_So basically, it's like a bribe. _Kamijou can't help but think that way. But coming to his senses, he can at least tell that having a crash course and a shorter period of semesters is better than getting stuck in four years. Even if it would only be cut by a year, his sense of slight laziness is telling him to go for it.

_But I'm supposed to be a misfortunate person, right? _

After five minutes of pondering around, he then sighed and conceded into the wishes of the President. "Fine. I'll take acceleration courses and I'll join the SFG. But you better uphold that promise of yours…"

"Idiot. I never promise things I don't keep, kid." Kanou chided him as he handed three forms for the boy to fill up. As he was busy filling out his personal information, the President then began telling him a story. "Ever since Japan has reinterpreted the Article 9 of the constitution, there has been steady flow of deployments of JSDF units in places like Israel, Palestine, Uganda, Iraq, and Afghanistan."

"Well…isn't that bad, sir?" Kamijou asked as he then hands out one of the forms he had already finished writing.

"No one wants that and I don't want that, if you ask me. But we had Japanese citizens in those places and we can't expect other nations to secure their safety." Kanou sighed as he then gets up to a nearby water dispenser and makes coffee. "That's why we're compelled to send more troops to affected places. But recently, we had a number of casualties coming from the border of Israel and Palestine. It's been always Hamas versus the IDF, Jews versus the Muslims and the ones always affected are the people who had nothing to do with it."

By the time Kamijou had finished filling up his documents, he submitted them and Kanou had a smile in his face.

"Well, it's not like it's your time to shoulder that burden. Enjoy life first before going head-long into the battlefield. Oh…I suddenly remembered something." He then pulls out three profile papers and began explaining something. "Since it was expected that you'll be one of the youngest in the acceleration class who'll also attend the Ranger and SFG training courses, I'll be assigning you two female instructors from the second year batch who are also attending the acceleration program. For the acceleration classes, I'll ask Toudou Chiyo to assist your squad. For the Ranger and SFG training, I would ask Kawasaki Satsuki to be your mentor since…"

"Wait…Kawasaki-san…" There was a terror gripping in the face of the boy. "I heard that she's a devil…"

"I know. She's a tough-love girl. Tsk. That's why no boys ask him out." Kanou chuckled. "She's the pale beauty with her long hair sticking out. She's a goddess but she'll kill you if you don't take your training seriously. Well, summer is coming and I'm expecting you to attend your first acceleration class. Dismissed!" He then salutes to the boy, who returns the gesture and quickly he went out of the room.

The moment he was out of the room, he sighed as he slumped in the chair. He then pulls out his phone to read the last message sent to him from one of his staff before the five boys came in.

**From: CO Ooda  
Subject: That Boy  
Message: Do everything in your power to have him removed from the female cadets' sight and attention. **

_You haven't gotten over that female cadet you're always telling me, right? _Kanou mused in his mind.


	5. Diverging of Two Opposite Worlds

_Replies for reviews_

_whwsms - All of their illusions would be shattered by the barrel of Touma's gun. _

_Guest - There'll be more sir so I expect that you enjoy._

_Fortitude501 - Touma would survive, that's for sure. And he may not look like someone who would enter it at first but he had the skill. _

_SciFi Maker - Thanks sir! I hope you enjoy this one as well_

_Sleipnir - Just wait and see_

_fencer29 - 10,000? More than enough to deal with Hezbollah fighters that out hero would face in the next chapters. Though I'm still undecided about their appearance. _

* * *

"Neh, onee-sama, what course do you plan to get when you finally get into college?"

It sounded like a random question but for Misaka Mikoto, the answer to this question would be the key to her future which she hasn't even planned properly up to now. But even then, she had knew that her answer would always involve a certain Level 0 spiky haired boy, who is somewhere in Kanagawa in an armored drill with his fellow cadets.

Currently, Misaka and Shirai Kuroko are busy eating some cold dessert in nearby shop as a way to fight off the summer heat. Misaka was currently enrolled at Nagatenjouki Academy a second year while Shirai is already a freshman high school at the same school. The former actually wanted to go to a certain high school but numerous circumstances kept her from completely being in the same school as that Level 0 boy.

"I'm still not sure though I would like to ask that idiot about his plans for the future." She has been clutching her phone, which she used in contacting with that boy but she ended up only getting vague answers. "The thing is, he would just answer unclear stuff such as 'I'm fine' and 'I'm okay so no need to ask' stuff."

"Ugh…I'm pretty sure Kamijou-san is doing fine in whatever university he is right now." Shirai tried to hide her disgust for the boy—in utter failure.

"Whatever university? I'm more than sure that he's only studying somewhere in Academy City taking a random course." Misaka huffed, not even realizing that she was already lying to herself. "Wait—scratch that. Can that idiot even pass the course that he had chosen?" _Of course no. _She thought to herself quite eerily. _If he needed help, then he can simply ask me since I have high grades. Though…_

"I hate to break it with you but ever since his graduation which you forced me to come, I haven't seen him." Shirai said offhandedly as she pours chocolate syrup in his parfait. "Not that I care since I only care where onee-sama will study." There was a hint of her heart beating too loud as Shirai was somehow lost in her own little world.

"Yeah…" Misaka sighed as she scoops her ice cream. "Well, let's just let out lives go with the flow." She was about to put the ice cream in her mouth when suddenly, someone just showed up in their table and haughtily slams her hand in the table, effectively causing Misaka to almost choke in her sweet course.

"Cough…cough…dammit, Shokuhou, what the hell are you doing here?!" She scowls angrily as she faces the blonde Level 5 Mental Out who is only showing a snarky smile while displaying her starry eyes straight to Misaka's face.

"Oh…can I not stay here, Misaka-san?" Shokuhou asked mockingly. Shirai tried to scare off the blonde by growling like a tiger but the blonde immediately saw through this and gave a smug and mocking expression that soon took Shirai out of her charade expression and ended up sitting like a pacified baboon.

"I would have offered you a seat if it wasn't for your rude slamming of the table." Misaka retorted in irritation though Shokuhou snubbed this and quickly took a chair to seat on the portion between Shirai and Misaka. "What's with you going off like this anyway?"

"Oh. I just wanted to ask what course you are getting." Shokuhou put up an innocent smile as she orders a cup of David Harum sundae and soda. "Since I plan to take nursing in a certain university."

"That's pretty much surprising, coming from you." Misaka raised her eyebrow at the answer of the blonde.

"I only took it because I heard that majority of my prince's classmates all ended up taking the same course of nursing in that university." Shokuhou replied and Misaka, upon hearing that piece of information, quickly became somewhat excited as she fires of questions.

"You mean to say that their class are the same ones who are taking nursing?" She asked, quite wanting to know the answer right away.

"As far as I'm concerned, that seemed to be the case." The blonde replied as she finally gets her order. "Well, you don't look like fit to become a nurse. Your electric shocks might end up killing your patient instead." She sounded like she was joking but it slightly offended Misaka, who had to be restrained by Shirai before she does anything illegal.

"Who says I'm going to be a nurse?!"She yells angrily. "What makes you think…"

"Ara…ara…getting mad, I see." Shokuhou was enjoying the facial expression of the Railgun as she continues off. "Then I guess I'll take nursing as well after we pass the college entrance exams."

As the three then ate in silence after Misaka's outburst, the latter can't help but think it all over. _Is that idiot taking nursing as well? But I don't think he would be that smart or at least, studious enough to study human anatomy and medicines. From what I heard, he barely got to pass his high school tests. But on the other hand, Shokuhou here says that everyone from his class took nursing so there must be a slim chance he also took that course. He won't go anywhere outside Academy City, after all. _

Finally, after moments of contemplating her decision, she suddenly said. "That's it. I'm taking nursing as well!"

"Eh? Onee-sama?" Shirai was slight surprised at her quick decision. "But you said…"

"Oh…so you indeed ended up planning to take nursing." The Mental Out smiled smugly. "Fine. I won't lose to you then. Condolences if you even failed the entrance exams."

"Who said I will fail them?" Misaka said confidently. "I will make sure that I would enter the same school as that idiot. Who knows what could have happened to him…"

_As I expected, it's Kamijou-san again. _Shirai mentally cringed as she ignored the bickering between the two Level 5s.

After their time at the dessert shop, the three then went home together before the blonde went to another direction. On their way to their new dormitory, Misaka passed by an ad that says, "_Wanted: Culinary staff at the JGSDF's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade marine unit. Enroll now at the National Defense Academy of Japan!_"

"Even that so-called SDF recruits here." Shirai also noticed that poster in the wall.

Even though it's just for a second, Misaka felt a chill run down on her spine. _What was that? _Unknown to her, that simpler poster on the wall was all she needed to know what really the plan of that Level 0 boy is.

* * *

Himegami Aisa had woken up for the day.

Usually, she would be up by bed later than earlier but today, she and Masako will have to travel to Kanagawa to buy her some proper archery equipment. She then looks around the dormitory to see Fukiyose, in pajamas and sleeveless shirt, still sleeping very peacefully. Confused, the Miko then stood up and checked the time. "Ah, it's still quarter to five in the morning." She then decided to already enter the washroom to take a bath.

As she was busy taking a bath, she can't help but wonder about how things is going for her other former classmate. "How's Kamijou-kun doing?" She muttered to herself as she scrubs her back with liquid soap. "I'm pretty sure he's just doing fine in whatever university he has entered. Seiri is wrong, for sure but I just don't know how to prove it." She pitied the boy whenever the latter always gets scolded by her best friend or by their Komoe-sensei.

After taking a shower, Himegami then goes outside the wash room and at that point, she spots Fukiyose already making a simple breakfast of cereals and oat mills. "Oh, Aisa, you're awake." Fukiyose greets her as she mixes her juice laced with vitamins. "Here, drink and eat some of the energy snacks I made while I take a bath." She then stood up wordlessly and went inside the bathroom, leaving the Miko in the air.

An hour later, both of them are now walking in the university campus wearing their nurse clothes as they cannot enter the school grounds (or specifically, their college) without proper clothing. After a while, they proceeded to go to the classroom where they agreed to meet with their professor Masako. True enough, the latter, in her jersey jacket and black jeans, showed up in their backs. "Good morning, ladies." She greeted cheerfully for them. "It's good that you are all here very much early. Well, let's go ride my car since the trip to Yokosuka, Kanagawa will take about an hour and two to eight minutes."

"Your car, sensei?" Himegami raised her eyes in curiosity. "But I thought we're going to take the train."

"The train's going to last two hours since it will ran through different stations." Masako explained. "Besides, summer break's about to start and I'm pretty sure Himegami here wants to immediately start her archery training." The Deep Blood only snorted as the three of them then went outside of the school campus.

When they reached the car park, they saw a red 2005 Aston Martin V8 Vantage shining proudly against the rays of the hot sun. Before Fukiyose can even react, Masako took out her leys and opened the Aston Martin. "You riding or what?" She glanced at her two students, who looked a bit shocked at seeing her car.

"Sensei? Is that really your car?" Himegami asks in disbelief. "It's a bit high-class."

"Yeah and considering its Aston Martin, it would have been pricey." Fukiyose muttered to herself.

"Oh this baby? Hahahaha" Masako can't help but laugh. "Actually, this was given to me by the university's president as a gift. At first, I don't really want it but he was pretty damn persistent. Well, ladies, hop in now or I'll leave you all behind." Without further ado, the two freshmen students then hopped in and the teacher revved the engine before they sped away.

It turns out that the real reason why Masako asked them to be up early in the morning is because in order for them to get outside Academy City, they had to get special permission to be able to get outside of Academy City. The city limits leading outside are lined with walls, accessible only through entry points which require persons to have permission to enter or leave the premises. For vehicles, infrared seekers and MRI scanners are used to check vehicles. To leave, a student must first write and turn in three written applications, after signing all of them, their blood has to be checked for authenticity of identity using a micro machine, and lastly, students need to have a guarantor to obtain a complete pass, such as parents or guardians. Students going out are later injected with a nanodevice that is a transmitter before allowed out of the city using a mosquito needle.

After they stopped by a security office for the reasons mentioned, that's the only time they were able to get pass the checkpoints. Right now, Masako was behind the wheels obviously as Fukiyose was sitting on the passenger's seat beside the driver's. Himegami was seated on the back.

"Neh, kids, now that I remember, Yokosuka is also the location of the National Defense Academy, the premier military institution of Japan." Masako began to speak. "It's just that the president of our university is personally acquainted with the president of the NDO, Lieutenant General Kanou Ryusei-san. The latter used to be a high-ranking official of the Japanese military before he was appointed as president of the NDO…"

"Pardon me for the interruption but isn't the JSDF technically a civilian organization?" Fukiyose coughed as she tried to make her case. "It wouldn't really be accurate to call them a military or armed force."

"Not that it matters now." Masako replied as she turns left in the high way. "Remember, the constitution has been slightly amended to convert the JSDF into a full-fledged armed force. And even before that, it's not like the JSDF is already that weak to become a civilian organization. Don't be fooled young ones. Sometimes, loopholes are just too easy to exploit."

"I get it…" Fukiyose felt sleepy as she then closes her eyes to take a nap.

But it wasn't easy to take a nap.

The bustling sound of the city life, the unnatural driving of Masako, and the mixed excitement of the students to see life outside of their usual daily routine is preventing the Iron Wall Girl frim even getting decent sleep. By the time they finally reached the gates of the National Defense Academy of Japan, Fukiyose had eyebags in her face while Himegami wasn't that worse but her wrinkled are becoming more evident. "We're finally here, kids!" Masako finally parked the car in front of a large store as they all stepped out of the car. "This is the Masamune Figures and this is where they sell a lot of high-quality sports equipment such as archery, kickboxing gloves and other related items. Well, after this, we can eat in the nearby Gorkha Palace restaurant for some lunch. Well, let's start now."

The three women started to go into the rows and columns of sports equipment as soon as they entered the building. Fukiyose went on her own choice as she spots a barbell that she might use in the future. Masako was busy finding a good replacement for her bow that was already worn out in the past competitions. Himegami was also looking around though one can tell that her mind is around somewhere else. She looks a bit distracted and not in the best state of mind of think. This would have gone on for a few more minutes had not her eyes accidentally averted to a certain direction in the window.

The moment she glanced on the window, there were two young men who seemed to be cadets of the nearby NDA based on their jersey jackets that they were wearing who happened to pass by the store. She would have ignored it if it wasn't for the fact for one striking feature of one of the young men.

_He has spiky hair._

Himegami can't help but watch and observe the two, who seemed to be in a lively discussion. The more she looked closely, the more she felt shaking and gaping in shock as she got a vivid look on the boy with spiky hair, who is throwing up his hands as if he was burdened with a lot of hardships. _No…it can't be…it must be him!_

The moment they entered a nearby book store, which is just literally sitting beside the store, Himegami knew she can't let this rare chance pass by. For the past few months, it has been killing her and she wouldn't want that to prolong any longer. She then hurried to where Masako and Fukiyose are and the moment she spotted them, they were still busy searching some few things they can use. "Seisei, Seiri!" She called out to the two. "I'm sorry but can you two please choose for me? I need to check something outside."

"Outside?" Fukiyose asked. "What's that all about?"

"…I'm sorry…" Himegami apologized as she handed her money to Masako, who was flabbergasted at her actions. "I needed to check out something. Just send me a message me when you're all at Gorkha's." She then ran off, leaving both Fukiyose and Masako in the dust.

_Wait? What's with all of that reaction, Aisa? _

* * *

"Such misfortune."

A while back, it was just another sunny day for Kamijou and Kurata who were walking on their way towards the nearby bookstore to check out a list of the required books being asked to them by Toudou Chiyo, who is helping them catch up for their acceleration class which as now on-going. It also didn't help that Kawasaki Satsuki, whom Kamijou had already met a while back for their orientation, was a bit tough to talk to and her slim appearance made it more difficult.

_She looks like Shutaura Sequenzia-san. _Kamijou noted as the demeanour of his instructor reminded him a lot of a certain former commander of the Black Crow Unit. _By the way, it's been a long time since I have met her. How's she doing right now? _

Although it might sound as a joke, Kurata spoke to him after their orientation that he heard Kawasaki in the cadet mess hall spoke something like she wanted to "test that spiky haired boy to his fullest" and "She'll be prepared to hit him whenever she had a chance." Kurata also claimed that based on the actions of the slim lady, she must have already "fallen in love with the cute boy."

_Yep, Kurata's only joking._

"Damn, Kamijou. It won't be long before you also make Toudou-san fall for you." Kurata sounded both frustrated and teasing as he began to rant. "Maybe your name really suits you, Godly Touma-kun."

"You're kidding, right?" As usual, Kamijou is too dense to even notice that Toudou was secretly taking photos of the spiky haired boy, who was sitting beside her. Kurata noticed this but he acted like he didn't even saw it, for his amusement.

"Not sure if I'm kidding but apparently, Toudou-san likes boys who are very good to handle a rifle and a marksman with a pistol." Kurata shrugged his shoulders and cornered Kamijou with the next sentence. "Guess what? We all know who stood out in the Basic Urban CQB."

"We'll you just stop with those fantasies, Kurata?" Kamijou sighed. "As you can see, my life has been riddled with nothing but rotten luck. You remembered how I was scolded by the Commandig officer for that gas leak in the Hayabusa-class patrol boat?"

"Well, you're an idiot. What makes you think a gas turbine room is a washroom?" Kurata countered. "Besides, that boat is pretty much expensive since it's armed to the teeth. Oh by the way, what's our lesson again in the advancement class with Toudou-san?"

"Last time I heard, it's about the history of the Israel Defense Forces." Kamijou recalled as they are nearing the bookstore.

"Ah, the IDF." As usual, Kurata let off his military knowledge go off. "They're commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal. The IDF is unique in its inclusion of mandatory conscription of women and its structure, which emphasizes close relations between the army, navy, and air force. The IDF uses several technologies developed in Israel, many of them made specifically to match the IDF's needs, such as the Merkava main battle tank, Achzarit armoured personnel carrier, high tech weapons systems, the Iron Dome missile defense system, Trophy active protection system for vehicles, and the Galil and Tavor assault rifles."

"You sure do know a lot about those stuff." Kamijou was slightly impressed. "But Israel's just a small country, right? I'm surprised they were able to field such a strong army."

"They needed to because they're surrounded by a number of enemy-states." Kurata explained. "By the way, why do we need to go to the bookstore when we can just go to the library? I'm pretty sure they had some stuff there."

"Toudou-san herself said it's better to go to that bookstore when it comes to books like the IDF." Kamijou replied. "Plus, it's not like we can go every time in the library. We have a lot of things to do and my schedule isn't that flexible." _Thanks to President Kanou bribing me to take acceleration classes and SFG and Ranger courses. _

"I see. I see." Kurata nodded as they eventually reached the book store. Immediately, they were surrounded by a large numbers of books stacked in tall rows and columns of shelves. "Well, this is going to be a large challenge…" Kamijou muttered to himself as they decided to separate so they can find the books that they needed. The spiky haired boy decided to go to the left side in hoping to immediately find something that can be used as a reliable reference material.

Immediately, he spotted three books that seemed to be in volumes with the title. "_ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES: How 50 Years Turned It Into a Potent Fighting Machine?_" He then took out those books and immediately found out that the three books specifically cover the history of the IDF, from their foundation to the present times, where they're known for fighting in an irregular war in the Gaza strip.

"The 1948 Arab–Israeli War…." Kamijou began to read a paragraph of the first volume. "…Was fought between the newly declared State of Israel and a military coalition of Arab states over the control of former British Palestine, forming the second and final stage of the 1947–49 Palestine war. The conflict triggered significant demographic change throughout the Middle East. Around 700,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes in the area that became Israel, and they became Palestinian refugees in what they refer to as _Al-Nakba_ or "The Catastrophe". In the three years following the war, about 700,000 Jews emigrated to Israel, with many of them having been expelled from their previous residences in the Middle East. Sounds like this would be a good reference material."

He then opened the next book and began to read. "The Six Day War…" He started. "…Was fought between 5 and 10 June 1967 by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. On 5 June, Israel launched what it claimed were a series of pre-emptive airstrikes against Egyptian airfields. The Egyptians were caught by surprise, and nearly the entire Egyptian air force was destroyed with few Israeli losses, giving the Israelis air supremacy. Simultaneously, the Israelis launched a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip and the Sinai, which again caught the Egyptians by surprise. After some initial resistance, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser ordered the evacuation of the Sinai Peninsula. Israeli forces rushed westward in pursuit of the Egyptians, inflicted heavy losses, and conquered the Sinai." He then flipped the page. "The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War, or October War as a conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, by a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria against Israel. The war took place mostly in Sinai and the Golan—occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War—with some fighting in African Egypt and northern Israel. Egypt's initial war objective was to use its military to seize a foothold on the east bank of the Suez Canal and use this to negotiate the return of the rest of Sinai." _Okay, this one is good too. Better put this on the basket as well. Now, the last one…_

He opened the third volume and began to read. "The 2006 Lebanon War was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, Northern Israel and the Golan Heights. The principal parties were Hezbollah paramilitary forces and the Israel. The conflict started on 12 July 2006, and continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect in the morning on 14 August 2006, though it formally ended on 8 September 2006 when Israel lifted its naval blockade of Lebanon. Due to unprecedented Iranian military support to Hezbollah before and during the war, some consider it the first round of the Iran–Israel proxy conflict, rather than a continuation of the Arab–Israeli conflict….that's it. Kamijou-san's going to buy these books to pass his courses."

"Kamijou-kun, I didn't know you were so interested in military books. I can't imagine you being one."

"Oi, it's not like…"

Suddenly, Kamijou stopped the moments he heard that familiar _feminine _voice. _Okay, it's not like that's Kurata. He's a boy, right? _Acting on his reflexes, he turned around and was surprised to see a female teen around his age wearing nursing uniform and white rubber shoes. But what surprised the boy is the features of the girl. She has long, straight, black hair and a cross necklace around her neck.

"Hi-Himegami?! Is that really you?!"

"It's been a while, Kamijou-kun."

The girl smiled although Kamijou felt something else.

_This morning would be more hectic than ever. _


	6. A Date Or At Least, She Thought

_Replied for reviews_

_Guest – Those two female instructors would be seeing more action when Touma graduates. Shokuhou Misaki? It's safe to say she got it wrong—for now. _

_Fortitude501 – Eventually, there will be a reunion but in a way that they won't expect it._

_Whwsms – Kami-yan disease is inevitable, no matter what actions the NDA officials do. _

_Fencer29 – Misaka would eventually know the truth but that's still far-off. And Himegami actually looks great in a nurse uniform. This is why Aogami opted to get a nursing course hehe._

_Sleipnir – Yep, he will. _

_Rajarshi Sarkar – Quite a good version too._

* * *

"So, how are you now, Himegami?"

"I'm fine, Kamijou-kun."

Currently, both Himegami and Kamijou are sitting on a wooden bench inside the bookstore as the latter was waiting for Kurata, who was still busy finding his own set of reference materials. As first, both the former classmates at a certain high school are silent as they didn't know how to start or initiate the conversation. But as time began to pass by and Kamijou's fellow plebe hasn't even returned, the male began to get uncomfortable so he then decided to fire off what looked like to be the most appropriate question one would ask to a fellow alumni of their school.

"I'm fine, Kamijou-kun." Himegami replied blandly. "In fact, everyone seemed to be doing pretty well as everyone from our class took the same course of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Even Tsuchimikado-kun and Aogami-kun decided to stay put in that course despite the fact that they are naturally failing their exams. In fact, our former high school class has been retained and converted into the first nursing block."

"In short, everyone took nursing except for me, who is suffering in this military academy." Kamijou sighed as he remembered how his first day in the NDA went by. "Well, just my daily dose of misfortune."

"By the way, what made you take military science, Kamijou-kun?" Himegami asked, evidently surprised at the choice of her former classmate. "I have at least known you for the three years in high school and you're not the type of to be interested in these things. Let me guess: you wanted to be the hero in everything."

"To be exact, every one of us is required to take military science so my undergraduate course is actually humanities under the School of Humanities and Social Sciences with culinary arts…as a minor course outside this place." Kamijou can't help but feel uncomfortable over the subject as it was making him look stupid.

"But what made you enter this academy?" Himegami was persistent.

"Well…it's a long story…" Kamijou wanted to forget about that ad back in Academy City as it was constantly pissing him of to this day. He then changed subjects quickly. "Well, what are you doing here by the way, Himegami? I'm actually surprised someone like you would be here."

"Actually, I'm not the only one who was here." The Miko girl replied. "Our professor is with me as well as Seiri."

"Oh—wait, Fukiyose is with you?" For obvious reasons, Kamijou began to shudder in fear as he began to remember all those times where he was always at the mercy of the fists of the Iron Wall Girl. Ironically, he's the only one being hit hard like that while Tsuchimikado and Aogami, who are really the ringleaders of their antics, are punished in a slightly less degree. But either way, it wasn't really a good thing for the boy to see the girl that somehow became his nightmare for his whole high school life.

"I joined the archery club, Kamijou-kun." Himegami boasts as she grins. "That's exactly the real reason why we're here since the store beside this one sells high-quality archery equipment."

Hearing the reasoning of the Gemstone, Kamijou can't help but smirk as he leans into the wooden bench.

"Lame." He shrugged as he puts his hands on the back of his head.

"What did you say, Kamijou-kun?" Himegami asked, quite offended.

"I said it was lame—ouch! Hey, it was a joke!" Kamijou cried out as his foot was being stepped on and stomped very hard by Himegami. "But seriously, I even have far better equipment at my disposal—though I didn't initially plan on getting one at the start of the academic year."

Himegami stopped stepping on his Asics. "What is that equipment you speak off?"

Wordlessly, Kamijou reached our for his holster hidden beneath his jersey jacket and pulled out a Rock Island Armory M1911 .45 ACP pistol and proudly brandished it in front of Hiemgami, whose eyes grew wide at the sight of the gun. "Ka-Kamijou-kun?! Where did you get that gun?! It looks dangerous."

"Well, every firearm is dangerous in the hands of a maniacal and lunatic terrorist." Kamijou clarified as he was careful not to accidentally fire the M1911. "This variant is actually an A1-Tactical. I had the choice of going for the version with Picatinny rails but one of my superiors said simplicity is better."

"I'm not asking that. I'm wondering how you managed to get a gun even if you're still a cadet." Himegami was curious if Kamijou has become proficient in holding a gun.

"Well, cadets are actually allowed to carry a gun for protection provided that you had the permit to carry one. This one's particularly issued to cadets with the highest performance in the shooting ranges." Kamijou clarified. "Still, if I do get into a fight here in the streets, I'd try not to actually use a gun if I can."

"You're really a saint, Kamijou-kun." Himegami commented.

"Nope. Just a normal cadet following orders from their superiors." The spiky haired boy replied. "By the way, I'm just wondering what's taking Kurata so long."

"Kurata? Who's that?"

"Oh. He's a fellow plebe like me and my roommate in our cadet quarters." Kamijou replied as he tucks his gun back to his holster. "He—"

"Hey! Sorry, Kamijou!"

Kamijou Touma was interrupted by the familiar voice of his friend, who was already running towards where they are seated. "The line's quite long and I had difficulty finding my reference books. Speaking of which, who is that woman?" Kurata rudely points at Himegami. "Another addition to your growing harem?"

"Idiot. She's my former high school classmate, Himegami Aisa." Kamijou then introduced his fellow cadet to the freshman nursing student. "Himegami, he's the guy I'm talking about, Kurata Rikichi. He's from Hokkaido and well…he's someone who's really actually interested in joining the JSDF."

"Hi. Nice to meet you, Himegami-san!" Kurata greeted Himegami as he offers his hand.

"Uh…ni-nice to meet you too, Kurata-kun." Himegami stuttered as she shakes hands with the cadet.

"Well-let's go grab some lunch, Kamijou!" Kurata invited Kamijou as he slungs his arm around him. "I'm hungry now!"

"Well…sounds good. Oh by the way, Himegami, do you want to go with us?" Kamijou offered to her and then remembered something. "Oh yeah, you're with Fukiyose—"

"If it's alright, may I eat with you two, Kamijou-kun?" Himegami requested earnestly as she looked into Kamijou with puppy eyes. _I can't let this rare moment slip away from my hands! I will maximize what limited time I have here with him! _

"But you said you're with Fukiyose—"

"I'll just send a message to them, Kamijou-kun."

The boy looked into Himegami for the second time before relenting.

"Well, it's fine by me. What do you say, Kurata?" Kamijou looked at his fellow plebe, who looked surprised by her sudden invitation to herself.

"Well, it should be fine by me as well but we're going in Kamotsuru where there are lots of _Sake _(Japanese rice wine) and other heavy beverages there." Kurata looked worried for Himegami. "Are you sure you're fine with that, Himegami-san?"

"I'll just take seafood dishes there and water." Himegami replied.

"Besides, I don't think being drunk would be good at this moment." Kamijou didn't like the idea of being intoxicated with alcohol while returning to their quarters. "Or perhaps, let's just take Pina Colada or Shandygaff. I don't want to explain to Instructor Kawasaki why we're heavily intoxicated."

"Sounds good to me!" Kurata agreed and together, they started to walk towards the streets. But as they were walking in the pavement, they chanced upon a water puddle, which is quite large. And before Kamijou knew it, a heavy truck suddenly appeared speeding down the road, causing its wheels to splash into the puddle.

In effect, the puddle splashed into Kamijou Touma, who was holding his books into his hands.

"Da-Dammit!" He cussed out aloud at the truck, which was speeding away. But more than that, his newly-bought books got wet and when he went to check their pages, he was more than distraught to see that it had already smudged a lot of books' texts.

"Such misfortune!"

* * *

After having some sort of a delay in their trip to Kamotsuru since they have to go back to their quarters to have Kamijou Touma's books dried, they were able to continue on to their trip without further hitch. Himegami, who was allowed to go inside their campus provided she doesn't enter the cadet quarters, was amazed to see a large campus that in terms of land area is actually bigger than their own university campus in Academy City.

Now, Kamotsuru is one of the best sea food restaurants Yokosuka can offer in the area and their Sake wine is arguably one of their best products alongside their usual servings of crabs, lobsters, and fishes. But despite its name, Sakeis a bit different from the usual wine, in which alcohol is produced by fermenting sugar that is naturally present in fruit (typically grapes) Sake is produced by a brewing process more akin to that of beer, where starch is converted into sugars, which ferment into alcohol. Sake is often served with special ceremony, where it is gently warmed in a small earthenware or porcelain bottle and sipped from a small porcelain cup called a sakazuki. As with wine, the recommended serving temperature of sake varies greatly by type.

"Man! It's now summer vacation but we'll only get to go home occasionally since we have acceleration classes." Kurata sighed. "But four years is nothing compares to the life after that! At least, when we graduate, we can party harder now knowing we had our own money owing to our jobs."

"Maybe but your schedule is nothing compared to mine, Kurata." Kamijou replied as Himegami was silent all throughout the short journey. "But as you said, four years is just short although what makes it seemingly long is my usual does of misfortunes."

"Misfortune or fortune, we must enjoy life to the fullest in this university." Kurata slung his arm around the boy. "Since tomorrow is the only start of our advancement program, let's go all merry-merry to the _kokoro_…"

"Kurata-kun, I don't think Kamijou-kun is a drunkard." Himegami joined in their conversation.

"Yeah? So you're a good boy?" Kurata teases as he pokes the cheeks of the spiky haired boy.

"Can I just remain quiet in that matter? I just don't like the feeling of it." Kamijou grimaced as he remembered how he once returned to Academy City from Russia while being drunk.

"Pina Colada is much easier to handle, though." Kurata reassures the two of them as he dusts off the dandruff in his crew-cut hair.

As the three continued to walk, Himegami then took this opportunity to pull out her flip phone and sent a message to her friend.

* * *

**To:** Fukiyose Seiri

**From:** Himegami Aisa

**Subject:** Going Home

You two can go home without me. I needed to do something here. I can go home on my home.

* * *

Afterwards, she then received a reply.

* * *

**1 Message Received**

**From:** Fukiyose Seiri

**Subject:** Your Plan to Go Home

You can't do that! We needed to go home together. But if you really needed to do something, then I would wait for you if sensei needs to go early.

* * *

_This girl. _Himegami bit her lip. _She's so…I don't know what to say. _She then typed another message.

* * *

**To:** Fukiyose Seiri

**From:** Himegami Aisa

**Subject:** Going Home

Okay then. I'll text you when I'm finished.

* * *

"Who are you texting, Himegami?" Kamijou randomly asks.

"No one, Kamijou-kun."

Finally, they managed to reach the seafood restaurant and before the two knew it, Kurata immediately went to the receptionist table to get them seats. "Good morning. A table for three people, sir." Kurata politely asked as the boy in charge of the table nodded and immediately ushered them to location where there is a free table. Immediately, the borderline bald cadet began to order steamed fish, lobsters, and mussels as Kamijou asks for a bottle of cocktail, pineapples, and a pitcher of water for Himegami, who is not used to the alcoholic drinks the two males had ordered.

As they waited for their orders to arrive, Himegami then made a surprising request from Kamijou. "Kamijou-kun, may I have your cell phone number?"

The spiky haired boy was taken aback. "Uhm…do you have a particular reason, Himegami?"

"None but I just wished I can visit you when I have time." Himegami made a reason. "Tsuchimikado-kun and Aogami-kun seemed to not really care to what happened to you so I guess one of us should at least know."

"Oh…not that I really care if those two knew about what was happening to me." Kamijou scratched his head as he pulls out his phone. "Here. I do hope you don't so something very weird with my personal contact."

"I don't want to hear it from you…" The Miko girl muttered as she then rapidly presses all the buttons to type her number and to get the boy's number as well. "Did you changed contacts, Kamijou-kun? It looks like Tsuchimikado-kun can't text you."

"I lost my phone in the shoreline while we're having some training and seminar on how to differentiate a Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile to the older Type 88 Surface-to-Ship Missile." Kamijou sheepishly explains as he recounted how one cadet accidentally pushed him in the pier and as a result, he lost his phone in the sea waves. "I did manage to recover some of the lost contacts through a written copy in my paper but the others, not so much." _Especially Misaka's since I didn't even memorized her number._

_Oh wait, how's she doing right now. _

"Your bad luck hasn't really changed, Kamijou-kun." Himegami blandly states.

"I guess that would be the case until the end of my life." Kamijou sighed in hopelessness as he just wanted to be lucky without any bigger consequences. "Such misfortune."

In less than ten minutes, the waiter was able to serve their orders and immediately, Kamijou and Kurata began to eat the mussels as Himegami was busy nibbling the steamed fish. Soon, the spiky haired boy opened the bottle of cocktail and poured two glasses of the beverage with pineapples and they enjoyed this free time that they have while they don't have classes.

As they were celebrating with each other, Himegami was watching them with a content smile in her face. _This is a date with Kamijou-kun. _

In her own happiness, she literally forgot the other plebe who is going all happy-happy with Kamijou Touma at the moment.

* * *

**Author's Note: The next chapter or two would probably be just a compilation or summary of their four years in college since it would be too long to go full-detail on them. Nevertheless, it would be guaranteed that our hero Kamijou Touma will see lots of actions especially in the Middle East. Some phrases just to give an idea of what the next chapters would look like: Urban combat in the West Bank. JSDF-SFG training and operating with the Sayeret Matkal (General Staff Reconnaissance Unit or Unit 269) and Maglan (Unit 212). Fated reunion. Hostage-taking crisis. Misaka Mikoto angrily going off again. **

**See you next time! **


	7. Four Years in a Blink (Intermission)

_Replied for reviews_

_Whwsms – Let's just keep it a secret._

_SciFi Maker – Something like that will happen._

_Guest – Sorry. Kinda got tired from work when I did the last chapter._

_Majin Othinus – Don't worry. She'll have her moment in the next chapters. _

_Sleipnir – It's nice, to be honest._

_Fencer29 – He'll be in for more misfortunes._

* * *

The rest of the three years in college went by in a flash. Himegami had finally gotten accustomed to the strenuous college life with Fukiyose, Aogami, and Tsuchimikado, developing a routine of some sorts as their weeks pass by. In the morning, before the sun is out, she and Fukiyose would go for their morning jogs and archery practice in preparation for the miko's archery tournaments and return in their student dormitories after an hour and a half. Then, she'd take a shower and brush his teeth. After her shower, she would put her nursing uniform and pack her gym bag and then head downstairs in the nearby cafeteria for breakfast. While they are eating, she would secretly engage in a cheery conversation via text between her and a certain spiky haired boy who is 43 km away from their location. At 7:30 on the dot, she would leave for school along with Fukiyose as they always walk together.

Time at a certain university was another routine. She and Fukiyose would enter through the gates and would often meet with a sleepy Tsuchimikado and Aogami, who had developed the habit of watching comedy shows together at midnight. They would walk together peacefully or sometimes, they would discuss about random topics, including their former classmate who seemed to have disappeared without a trace. When they reached their class, Himegami would just pretend to sleep until the professor walked in their block classroom. Every time they had classes, Himegami had been sharply focusing on her studies as she felt she didn't want to lose to a certain spiky haired boy, who seemed to be just taking it off easy in their academy. In sharp contrast, Tsuchimikado would simply sleep off when he didn't understand their topics and worst, he would simply look into the notes of their other blockmates, an act that was sometimes met with an underhanded and violent response from Fukiyose, who didn't tolerate cheating in their class.

Practice in her archery club was the same. Himegami would go to the gym specifically designed for archery classes and do warm-ups and wrist exercises with the team, always staying close to professor Masako. After their warm-ups and stretches, they would then practice target archery in which they would shoot three arrows in two minutes and six arrows in four minutes. Himegami's performance has been described as "above average" and her class had been supportive of her, which is rare considering she didn't have that much presence in their block.

After practice, she would then take a shower and return to their class where Fukiyose would be waiting for her. She and the Forehead Deluxe would then walk home together but not before theur would pass by a nearby convenience store. Sometimes, Tsuchimikado and Aogami also hang out with the two female teens and together, they would eat ice cream at the nearby dessert shop. These activities lasted for an hour and a half before both boys and the girls went home to their separate dormitories. As soon they reach home, Himegami would be the first to take a bath. Once they are done showering, they would go down to the dining hall to eat dinner, then do homework and study with each other before going to sleep. Sometimes, When Fukiyose is sleeping, Himegami would then stand up for the moment to write in her diary which had become her hobby after entering college. She would sometimes write about her daily

In short, this was Himegami's four years as a nursing student.

* * *

On the coast of Yokosuka, life has gone on as usual, and by usual, this would mean his daily doses of misfortune had carried on into his college life. Just like Himegami Aisa, Kamijou Touma felt that the three remaining years in the National Defense Academy went by quickly as if it was just four weeks despite his schedule clogged by acceleration classes. If one is to count the exclusion of some of his certain subjects he had "skipped" via acceleration classes and advancement tests, it should have been two and a half-years of college life although it would be impossible in the military academy, obviously. He and Kurata would always go for jogs in the mornings (Kurata uses a pair of wearable arm and ankle weights since he had joined a basketball club) and after an hour and a half, they would return to their cadet quarters. While Kurata was taking a shower, Kamijou would be always sneaking food for Othinus, who has served as his guardian for four years in the NDA. The former Magic God had once grumbled why her food rations has been "limited" and that she cannot go outside with him. Kamijou replied that it would be too dangerous not because there are certain magical factions out there to kill her but because he didn't want the trouble of having to explain to Kurata or more dangerously, their commanding officer about why he is bringing a doll in his shoulders. If there's any consolation, Kamijou said that once he would be deployed in an area wracked by disaster or wars, he would gladly need Othinus' help. The latter didn't immediately understand fully what he meant but decided to endure the hardships in the military quarters.

Once they are done cleaning their quarters, Kamijou and Kurata would then go outside to join the formation with the other cadets as they sing the Japanese national anthem. After the gathering, they would all proceed to go in the cadet mess hall to eat their breakfast. It was one of these occasions where Kamijou and Kurata had met and befriended Fujima Nobunaga, a fellow cadet and SFG trainee who also came from their batch. How did Kamijou and Fujima met? It was through another case of misfortune where Kamijou slipped while carrying his soup and he happened to spill it in front of the unsuspecting Fujima, who had just finished eating his food. He would have gotten mad if it was just some common cadet but once recognizing Kamijou back from the office of President Kanou, Fujima merely shrugged it off and told him it was fine. It was then that he asked if he was the Kamijou Touma whom he is hearing from his class and the reply was a positive one. Fujima then insisted that they eat and exercise together starting that day and since then, he had always joined the two in everything that they done. As if it's not enough, the three of them are SFG and Ranger trainees as well as students in the acceleration program, making the three of them one of the few and rare cadets to actually get accepted to both programs although it took Kurata some few months to get a recommendation to join the SFG training.

At classes and outdoor activities, it's not a secret to both Kurata and Fujima about Kamijou's seemingly dense reactions to Kawasaki's and Toudou-san's advances towards the vulnerable spiky haired boy. It came to the point where Fujima had been compelled to tell Kamijou about the nickname that Kawasaki had given to him while he had accidentally slept in their asymmetric warfare class.

"She called me what?!" Kamijou shrieked as they are eating lunch in the mess hall.

"Idiot. Lower your voice." Kurata smacked him as he was eating a red apple.

"Hnn." Fujima sighed at Kamijou's hopelessness in dealing with women. "I can't tell if you're blind or you just had a heart of stone but Kawasaki-san was obviously feasting her eyes on you, even calling you "Baby Boy" and stuff."

"Baby—heh?!" Kamijou can't help but be shocked.

"Be blessed that you are being gifted with tons of pretty women here in the NDA while me and Fujima can only watch in envy." Kurata smirked as he then slings his arms to Kamijou. "The way you deny it only make us feel like you are mocking us."

"In fact, you have been called such numerous names such as "God of Love and War" "Clutch Shot" "Angel With a Shotgun" and "Mister Cupido" by your female fans." Fujima explained. "Don't tell me you don't know it."

"Eh? Are you kidding me?"

As usual, Kamijou is as oblivious as cement.

Just then, a female cadet suddenly walks to their table while holding what looks like a notebook. "A-anou…you're Kamijou-san, right? Can I have your autograph?" Being the good boy as he is, Kamijou merely obliged as he took the pen and signed her notebook, unaware that the female cadet is shrieking deep inside her as her eyes were shining brightly like a diamond.

As soon as the cadet left, Fujima shrugged and said. "See? That's what we meant."

The four years in the NDA has been tough and strenuous for the three pals although it was their first year in the military academy that has put the foundation of what their remaining three years would be like. In their military program, all freshmen cadets undergo the same basic military training, which consists of lectures and field training in accordance with the purposes and functions of the Japan Self Defense Forces. At the end of the first year, the cadets are assigned either to the Ground Self-Defense Force, the Maritime Self-Defense Force or the Air Self-Defense Force, according to their personal preference, aptitude and physical abilities. The cadets' subsequent military training differs according to the service to which they have been assigned. By some kind of miracle, Kamijou, Kurata, and Fujima were assigned to the ground force although some of their superiors claimed that this was because the three of them had recommendations and that the president wanted to segregate the spiky haired boy from other female cadets. The first reason actually had a point but the second one is completely unfounded.

As promised and sponsored by Kanou, Kamijou was allowed to attend to a one-month summer crash course in a culinary school which actually had ties with the NDA. _Finally, a break from the military training. I thought I would get crazy. _He thought once as he again messed up, this time by accidentally ruining a mixer.

SFG training was harder than he originally thought. Designed as a counter-terrorist unit established by the former Japanese Defense Agency (Now the present Ministry of Defense) to counter terrorist activities and deter guerrilla-style attacks on Japanese soil and to conduct military operations, the Special Forces Group is based in Narashino, Chiba garrison in Funabashi, Chiba with the 1st Airborne Brigade. Due to this, Kamijou, his two friends, and other few lucky cadets are required to go there for their training. Normally, potential recruits to the SFG are drawn from Ranger-qualified personnel of the 1st Airborne Brigade since one of the requirements of joining the SFG was being airborne-qualified. But Kamijou and the others were able to bypass this by their recommendation and by having a specialized training at high-altitude military parachuting (HALO) with elements of the SFG's 1st SFGp Company and members of the 1st Airborne Brigade. Despite Kamijou's early struggles, including breaking a lot of equipment as well as his nervous breakdown in parachuting, the three of them managed to pass their course and as a result, they had earned their SFG tabs as well as their own call signs. Kamijou got the call sign "Lancer" while Kurata and Fujime got "Ruskie" and "Saber."

To sum it all up, that was Kamijou Touma's four years in the NDA.

* * *

Finally, the day for Kamijou, Himegami, Fukiyose, Tsuchimikado and Aogami to graduate had arrived.

It was one Saturday morning and both NDA and a certain university in Academy City had held their graduation rites in the same day for their outgoing seniors who are now going off to their next level in life.

"So it's today, huh?" Aogami sat comfortable in his seat as he wore his white toga, signifying that he managed to survive four years of nursing despite his stupidity. Today, the Graduation Ceremony was being held at the university auditorium and this is the last day in their university before their life as a college students ends and they would become young working adults. The bluenette watched the whole sea of fellow graduates sitting with tears in their eyes.

"I can't believe I managed to survive, nya!" Tsuchimikado smiled as for the first time, he had removed his shades as he claimed this is the best moment of his entire life.

"Even I can't believe I survive it. Congratulations to us all." Himegami, who is looking as plain as ever, said without looking at the blonde but just simply looking at the podium where their classmate would be taking their graduation speech.

And after ten minutes, Fukiyose Seiri, in her toga while looking elegant as she had her hair styled wavy, finally appeared as she was the class Magna Cum Laude and therefore, she was in charge of making and reading the speech on behalf of her batchmates.

As the Iron Wall Girl began speaking, there was another spectator in the crowd who was also a nursing student right now though she isn't an ordinary person.

"That idiot. It's been four years and right now, they're graduating but up to now, I can't find him."

That voice belonged to Misaka Mikoto, the third-ranked Level Five Railgun.

Originally, it was that idiot that was supposed to be the reason why Misaka and Shokuhou Misaki decided to take nursing as well in college. To cut it short, they were quite dismayed upon knowing that their crush was the only one in that batch who didn't take up nursing. Despite that, they decided to stick with their course since, as Misaka put it in words, they had no choice but to move on.

The Railgun, though, was hoping that one day, she could learn about the fate of that boy. Thinking about it, it made her realize that it was making her angry every time she thinks about him since she didn't know what could have happened to him.

_When we meet one day, I'll just have to zap him as a punishment. _

Speaking of that boy, the National Defense Academy of Japan has also held its graduation rites in their own auditorium as every Japanese parent and elders are in a raised platform to watch their sons and daughters finally graduate from the hardships that they endured in the NDA.

"I can't believe my little baby is now graduating."

The voice of Kamijou Shiina was heard as she was fighting back her tears of joy while she takes a tissue from the tissue box that was held by none other than the English nun, the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. Index, who had to endure her own struggle in living in the Kamijou household without living with her partner and brother figure himself while surviving on money being sent by Necessarius, was finally very ecstatic to see her own Touma, who is among the 1,000 that will be ready to throw up their berets in the air.

'To think we managed to survive all that shit, this day made it all worth it." Kurata exclaimed as he proudly seats with his blue uniform and white gloves.

"Now that I think of it, Kamijou would be the one giving the speech." Fujima snickered as they all waited for their friend to appear to the platform.

It turned out that Kamijou Touma had become the NDA Class 20XX's valedictorian despite his somehow murky reputation and murmurings of him being a playboy. Finally, Kamijou had appeared as he stands in the podium, looking calm and relaxed as he reads his speech. Had Fukiyose been present in his graduation, she might have been shocked to see that their former butt monkey and class clown of their batch has become a valedictorian—more so in a tough academy.

"The time has finally come when the playboy turns into a real soldier." Fujima remarked.

"During these four years college life, my goal was nothing more than to enjoy life while we all struggle to survive. Despite being entrusted with a lot of responsibilities, I devoted myself into keeping this goal. The results of that were: 3rd place in the annual cutter race, top 5 at the NDA's annual shooting range festival and finally, being the valedictorian standing before all of you. Despite the fact that my life had been dotted with misfortune and soiled reputation, I was able to feel that I have done what I had to do and I did it with my fellow cadets." As Kamijou finished, he took a deep breath. "For that, I have no regrets."

Those distinct words struck both Kurata and Fujima straight to his heart. They could grasp that even though Kamijou was on the podium, those feelings were not one of a public spokesman, but his own. While feeling that Kurata's gaze has turned serious, Fujima opened his ears to listen what their friend had to say next.

"The result of the cadets fighting and staying together was not "suffering" that means 'it's the end,' but 'this is where it begins.' It taught us that this is where the door to the world opens. I think the value alone of devoting everything into these four years and meeting everyone is a blessing. As we all depart into the real and challenging world, I want to say congratulations to all of us who managed to survive the challenges that pushed us to our limits." Kamijou finished.

After that speech, he march to where the Emperor of Japan, who happened to be the main guest here, is seated and he saluted as a sign of respect. Thirty minutes later, the awarding has commenced and with everyone receiving a large diploma, Kamijou was the last to be awarded and, along with three other valedictorians, he received a Saber, a golden plaque, and a large medallion from the Emperor. Shiina can't help but cry once again as she witnesses her son stand next to the country's most revered leader.

After the graduation rites, all of the cadets then threw their military caps in the air as they all shouted and cried in jubilee and joy that they finally managed to graduate.

As for Kamijou, he then though of one thing.

_This is where the real misfortune begins. _

* * *

**A CERTAIN MEDICAL HOSPITAL/CAMP NARASHINO (one month later)**

"Why are we here, Seiri?"

"I don't know. Let's just wait."

Currently, Fukiyose, Himegami, Tsuchimikado, and Aogami were all summoned in the office of the hospital together with their colleagues. By some stupid miracle, majority of their colleagues where their former classmates in high school and college which made the blonde backstabber conclude they must have been bound by some stupid string of fate.

After ten minutes, their director, who read a letter, then began to speak. "As you all know, Japan has been embroiled in a conflict in Israel over its citizens there that might be risk of danger as well as our commitment to peace as mandated by the United Nations. As part of our commitment with the WHO, our hospital has been ordered to send 300 medical and nursing staff, including some of our doctors here, in a three-month deployment to the region of Galilee near the Golan Heights. All of you have been selected to join the medical team."

The director was met with groans and moans from the young nurses.

"With that, I assure all of you that your salaries would be doubled and your living arrangements would be free as well as food, water, and your basic needs." The director added. "Now, you'll all depart to Tel Aviv a week from now. That is all. You may go back to your posts."

As they all walk out of the office, Aogami then began to speak. "Three months is too long for me!"

"What can we do, Aogami-kun?" Himegami replied. "It's an order."

"Just being curious. I wonder if Kami-yan knows this." Tsuchimikado wondered.

"How can Kamijou know if on the first place, he isn't here?" Fukiyose butted in. "Besides, it's been four years since we last saw him and we have no idea what happened to him."

_We'll see. _Himegami thought as they walk back into an operating room.

* * *

"Just my luck…"

Kamijou muttered his famous phrase as he, Kurata, and Fujima were busy cleaning up their Colt M4A1 SOPMOD carbines as they are also detaching the M203 grenade launcher. The reason they are in a rush is because the JSDF High Command has ordered the SFG to replace the infantry unit currently based in Kinneret, Galilee, Israel.

"Where are we supposed to stay in Israel?" Kurata asked as he was then packing a Type 01 LMAT anti-tank missile in a large canister.

"I heard it's in the Galilee region." Fujima replied while he loads his magazine with 5.56mm cartridges. "Oh and be aware of those Syrian tanks in the Golan Heights. It might be the old T-55 but it's still deadly."

"We know that." Kamijou sighed as one week from now, they would be all departing to Tel Aviv. "By the way, our higher ups said that I would be the one cooking our meals in the Golan Heights garrison if possible. And for a sidenote, he said we'll be working with the members of the Sayeret Matkal."

"That's good. I'm looking forward to more action." Fujima said as he packs up his bag. "Oh and don't forget your balaclavas. SFG operators aren't supposed to be seen in the public with their faces exposed.

With the idea of deployment occupied in his mind and the fact that this is the moment where Othinus would be helping him, Kamijou didn't even have an idea that one week from now, he would have an unexpected reunion with people he knew.


	8. Japan's Two Faces: War and Peace

_Replies for reviews_

_Whwsms – Glad you liked it. Thanks for reading it._

_Guest(1) – I can at least assure you that Kawasaki would have some more time with our main character. I still had no idea what or how to put the Beauty Senpai or Mitsuari Ayu._

_SciFi Maker – Can't tell, sorry. _

_fencer29 – Sorry, not really that good in writing like the other To Aru fic writers here so sorry if I had a bad ending. _

_Guest(2) – I can't tell yet, tbh._

_Sleipnir – Maybe. Maybe not. _

_Rajarshi Sarkar – Well…something like that…_

_linkjames24 – She'll have a role…I think…_

* * *

"Where are we going, human?"

"To Israel."

"And what are we doing to do in Israel?"

"Eh…fight bad guys, I guess."

"I guess? That is too much vague for a mission that involves you wearing too much heavy battle gear."

Currently, their C-130 cargo plane is now en route to Tel Aviv International Airport and all of SFG members are already in their full-battle gear although they haven't yet worn their balaclavas and their boonie hats. Kamijou can't help but recheck his ammunition pouch despite having checked it a lot of times before they board the plane. _Guess I got paranoid by my own misfortune. _

"Human, what am I supposed to do when we're there?"

"Huh? Oh…you'll be my lookout when things get bleak. Even my special training is not enough to entirely avoid death."

"Okay human but in exchange for that, give me some comfortable place to live in. That cadet quarter is actually too cramped for my convenience."

"Yo, Kamijou are you talking to that doll of yours?"

"Eh?!"

Kamijou Touma was caught in the act by Fujima, who is busy attaching an ACOG scope on his carbine. "You've been staring at that strange doll for a few minutes from now that I thought you're getting insane."Fujima sounded concerned. "Are you actually nervous?"

"Ah…hehehe. That's how I deal with nervousness." Kamijou nervously chuckled as he scratches his head.

"Then do something about it. It's honestly creepy." Fujime sighed.

"But his face is cute!"

"Eh?! Instructor Kawasaki?!" Kamijou was more than shocked as he noticed their former Instructor and now First Lieutenant Kawasaki Satsuki, who was smiling warmly as the terrified boy. "W-Well, I'm surprised that you are here with us. I thought only you are in a different plane." He asked quietly as the pilot announced that they are now nearing their destination.

"True but this platoon of yours needed people who'll do inside jobs, baby boy." Kawasaki explained as the spiky haired boy simply ignored the "baby boy" tag. "Or perhaps, you don't want me to be here?"

"Ah—no, ma'am!" Kamijou nearly lost his nerves as Kawasaki was nudging in to him too closely. "It's just that you didn't notify us that you would be joining us."

"Surprises are more fun, baby boy." Kawasaki said in a sweet tone that Kamijou was beginning to wonder if President Kanou actually lied to him about Kawasaki being a stone-cold woman.

"Hey, Lieutenant—"

"Just call me Kawasaki-san, baby boy."

"Okay but can you just call me by my surname?" Kamijou can see a few of his colleagues looking at him with a hint of jealousy. "I'm sure that we're working professionally and I don't want to end up going home with a record about breaching work ethics."

"Then I guess you're right, Kamijou-san." Kawasaki toned down her aggressive advances towards the boy and began to tied down her long, black hair. "By the way, I'm curious. What's your parents' reaction when you said to them that you'll be deployed in Israel?"

"My mom was very hysterical at first." Kamijou sighed as he remembered the stressing day before yesterday. "She told me that I should just stay at home since I'm too young to die but I did explain to her our real objective and she calmed down afterwards. Dad was more normal though he told me that I should bring a lot of lucky objects so that I would be safer. As for Ind—I mean, my cousin, well, I don't want to think about it."

"Well, that shows that your family deeply cares for you." Kawasaki smiled sadly as she looked into the airplane window. "I'm an orphan since my parents died in a car accident when I was young so it was my grandparents who took care of me."

"Oh…" Now, this was something that he didn't expect to hear. "So is that why you're very oblivious to love or that they call you a stone-hearted one?"

"About that, I just don't have time for romances now." Kawasaki mused. "By the way, just so you know, there are a lot of groups that you might encounter in Israel but the most relevant are the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the Hezbollah, and the most dangerous of the three of them, the ISIS and its fragmented groups."

"So what's really the reason why we're sent there?" Kamijou asked quite curiously.

"Officially, it's to replace the JSDF garrison that was stationed there." Kawasaki explains. "Recently, there has been attacks on our peacekeepers and since our constitution has been amended four years ago to make the JSDF officially a military force by name, the Prime Minister has given the green light to let the SFGs takeover the garrison in the Golan Heights, and in Galilee."

"You mean to say the current JSDF personnel is unable to keep out those militants?"

"You can say that was the case." Kawasaki nodded. "Besides, the JSDF was supposed to be the line holding the peace between those groups and the IDF but it seems that the war in the Gaza Strip and West Bank had just gotten worst and the peacekeepers are now getting unintentionally involved."

"That sucks for the guys who aren't supposed to be there." Kamijou sighed as he himself felt the brunt of what warfare looks like—though he fought it in a completely different manner.

At that point, the place was suddenly escorted by the Israeli Air Force's F-16I Sufa jets as the pilot announced, "_Ladies and Gentlemen, we're nearing the Ben Gurion International Airport. Please secure your belongings._"

"Seems like it's the signal that we're now in Israel." Kurata, who slept in their journey to the Jewish nation, said as he then picks up his rifle and his over-seized bag. _Looks like this shit is real. I'm not dreaming. _Kamijou said as he touched his head with his right hand to see if he was merely dreaming.

As they all stood up as they felt the place land smoothly in the runway, he then whispered to Othinus, "Sorry about Fujima and Kawasaki-san, Othinus. But right now, we're here in Israel. You can loosen yourself up once we reach our living quarters."

"Okay human but I must tell you, you were really ignoring me the whole time."

* * *

Israel is a country in Western Asia, located on the south eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea. It has land borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan on the east, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the east and west, respectively, and Egypt to the southwest. The country contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. Israel's economic and technological center is Tel Aviv, while its seat of government and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, although the state's sovereignty over Jerusalem has only partial recognition.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that the only Jewish-majority country in the world was born out of the gun barrel and the shedding of blood from the battles it witnessed to carve from the former Ottoman Empire what is known today as Israel. In 1947, the UN adopted a Partition Plan for Palestine recommending the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and an internationalized Jerusalem. The plan was accepted by the Jewish Agency, and rejected by Arab leaders. The following year, the Jewish Agency declared the independence of the State of Israel, and the subsequent 1948 Arab–Israeli War saw Israel's establishment over most of the former Mandate territory, while the West Bank and Gaza were held by neighboring Arab states. Israel has since fought several wars with Arab countries, and since the Six-Day War in 1967 held occupied territories including the West Bank, Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip. It extended its laws to the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, but not the West Bank. Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories is the world's longest military occupation in modern times. Efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have not resulted in a final peace agreement although peace treaties between Israel and both Egypt and Jordan have been signed.

Kamijou was heaving a sigh as all of his men rode a Komatsu Light Armored Vehicle. After reaching the rank of Second Lieutenant, the spiky haired young man was given command of the 4th Platoon, which specializes in urban combat, which meant that the place where they would be assigned would be pretty tough. Urban warfare, in contrast to jungle warfare, is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat is very different from combat in the open at both the operational and tactical level. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the presence of civilians and the complexity of the urban terrain. Urban combat operations may be conducted in order to capitalize on the strategic or tactical advantages with which possession or control of a particular urban area gives or to deny these advantages to the enemy.

_The Israelis learned it the hard way in the 2006 Lebanon War. _Kamijou remembered one of his lessons on urban warfare. _Hezbollah countered IDF armor through the use of sophisticated Russian-made Kornet anti-tank guided missiles and 52 Merkava main battle tanks were damaged though the Merkava tanks that were penetrated were predominantly Mark II and Mark III models. _

"Oh yeah, before you settle down in the Galilee region, the colonel said that we should first spend our first night in the Golan Heights." Kurata suddenly remembered the message sent to their platoon.

"I was personally ordered to do that though no specific reason was given." Kamijou replies. "They just kept saying about relieving the command in Galilee."

"Technically, the Golan Heights is a part of the Northern District of Galilee and we had five JSDF-administered bases there, one in Nazareth, one in Acre, one in Safed, one in Kiryat Shmona, and the remote one in the Golan Heights administered by the Golan Regional Council and separated by the combined JSDF-UNDOF organization from the rest of Syria as a means of maintaining the status quo." Fujima explained as he was behind the wheels. "In short, be prepared for any moment, militants from the Syrian side and the Lebanese side can fire rockets any time they want."

"Five?" The platoon leader raised his eyebrows. "I'm surprised the JSDF was able to maintain such facilities in abroad."

"If you're a peacekeeper here, you're gonna need high-end equipment." Fujima added.

"The conflict's too crazy." Kamijou sighed. "Can't they just get along with one another?"

"Everyone always says that." Kurata shrugs. "But unless people finds a way to put aside their differences in politics, religion and social standing, peace would be too impossible to achieve even after 100 years. The only ways you can survive right now in that kind of sectarian conflict is either being the superior one or maintain the status quo."

"Hnnn…I wonder why people had to kill each other, though." The young second lieutenant whispered to himself as they were nearing the UN-JSDF headquarters.

"By the way, the SFG guys would be based in Kiryat Shmona so I guess the whole Golan thing stuff is for us to get the whole preview of what we're about to face off." Fujima explained as he checks a map. "By the way Kamijou, I heard that Academy City is also sending a team of medical staff, doctors and nurses in Kiryat Shmona as well. Perhaps, do you know some folks who you might encounter in that place?"

The faces of four people suddenly came into mind as Kamijou pondered upon the question of Fujima. _Hmmm? I just wonder of Tsuchimikado and Aogami would actually agree to do such thing. No, it's impossible. That's isn't just Tsuchimikado's style and Aogami might end up only satisfying his cravings for fetishes. Unless they manage to mature when I wasn't around…_

"Not that I can remember anyone who would join such missions." The spiky haired boy replied as he fiddled with his M4 carbine. "I had a few friends back there in Academy City but I wasn't sure if they would agree to join a medical mission. I haven't kept in touch with them for four years."

"What? Not even once?"

"None. I lost all their contacts in our first year in the academy and I figured that iit would just be a waste of time to hassle them just to full up my contact list." Kamijou moaned. "Speaking of Kiryat Shmona, are we near the UNDOF headquarters? I feel like I'm about to answer the call of nature."

"Don't worry, sir! We're nearing the compound!" A fellow SFG, who was assigned to their machine gunner, replied as Fujima was too busy driving.

"Then it's all good." Kamijou said as he then pulls out a notebook to recheck the names of those under his 16-man platoon.

**1****st**** SFGp Company – 4****th**** Platoon **

**Second Lieutenant Kamijou Touma, Gender: Male, Code Name: Lancer, Team Leader/Team Captain**

**Warrant Officer Fujima Nobunaga, Gender: Male, Code Name: Saber, Second-In-Command**

**Sergeant Major Kawasaki Satsuki, Gender: Female, Code Name: Roseline, ? **

**Master Sergeant Kurata Rikichi, Gender: Male, Code Name: Ruskie, Rifleman**

**Sergeant First Class Tanaka Daiki, Gender: Male, Code Name: Archer, Rifleman**

**Sergeant First Class Kuribayashi Misahiro, Gender: Male, Code Name: Ajax, Rifleman**

**Sergeant First Class Abe Seijiro, Gender: Male, Code Name: Onyx, Machine Gunner**

**Sergeant Yamashita Yuko, Gender: Female, Code Name: Chalice, Combat Medic**

**Sergeant Okazaki Yumiko, Gender: Female, Code Name: Pearl, Combat Medic**

**Leading Private Nagano Jun, Gender: Male, Code Name: Styx, Rifleman**

**Leading Private Furuta Kenji, Gender: Male, Code Name: Bullpup, Rifleman**

**Leading Private Hayama Toru, Gender: Male, Code Name: Gauntlet, M2HB gunner**

**Leading Private Jin Shoichi, Gender: Male, Code Name: Gargoyle, Heavy Weapons Specialist**

**Leading Private Takato Yoshinori, Gender: Male, Code Name: Hammer, AGL operator**

**Leading Private Tsuchiya Tetsuo, Gender: Male, Code Name: Steel, Heavy Weapons Specialist**

_And the seventeenth, arguably. _Kamijou sighed as he wrote an additional name in the notebook.

**Former Magic God Othinus, Gender: Female, Code Name: ?, Magician**

"To think you would actually outrank Kawasaki-san, it shows that you're our batch's ace." Fujima suddenly said as they were stopped by a UN checkpoint.

"Do you really have to repeat that on my face?" Kamijou Touma sighed as he then pulled out a phone. "Fujima, can we open our phones?"

"No. At least, not yet for the whole week."

"Why? What did the colonel said?"

"Safety measure for at least a week. You know…spies and electronic sabotage can be a hassle. But part of it is because we're SFGs so we're banned from communicating by phones unless it's an emergency."

"I see. Well, such misfortune."

* * *

Kiryat Shmona (Town of the Eight in Hebrew) is a city located in the Northern District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley near the Lebanese border. The city was named after the eight people, including Joseph Trumpeldor, who died in 1920 defending Tel Hai. It had a population of 22,844, the majority of whom are Jews, particularly of Moroccan extraction. Located near the Israel-Lebanon border, Kiryat Shmona is Galilee's (and Israel's) northernmost city. Originally an Arab town by the name of Al-Khalisa, inhabitants had fled after Safed was taken by the Haganah during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and an attempt by the village to come to an agreement with the Jewish authorities was rejected. Its present name was derived from eight Jewish militiamen, commanded by Joseph Trumpeldor, who had fallen in the Battle of Tel Hai in 1920 during the Franco-Syrian War adjacent to the new town. It had originally been named Kiryat Yosef for Trumpeldor before the name was changed to Kiryat Shmona in June 1950.

Located in the Finger of the Galilee next to the Hula Valley, about 5 kilometres (3 miles) south and 2 km (1 mile) east of the Israel–Lebanon border, it's literally the closest to the Lebanese territory, making it a rich target for rocket fire cross-border attacks.

The city became the target of attacks, including Katyusha rocket attacks by the Palestinian Liberation Organization in July 1981, a Katyusha rocket attack by the PLO in March 1986 (killing a teacher and injuring four students and one adult), and further Katyusha rocket attacks by Hezbollah during 1996's Operation Grapes of Wrath. The citizens of the town had suffered almost daily attack from the mid-1970s until 2000, when the IDF left Lebanon. In the years 2000–06, the locals enjoyed relative peace but suffered from loud explosions every few weeks because of Hezbollah anti-aircraft cannons fired at IAF planes flying across the Israeli-Lebanese border. But despite this, the place continued to grow steadily and it has diverse economic activities among its inhabitants. The town's economy is based on both light industry, involving consumer-oriented products such as communications, information technology, and electronics as well as agriculture on the surrounding lands and tourism.

"Nya! We're finally here!" The voice of Tsuchimikado Motoharu was suddenly heard as he was getting down in their bus that was used to ferry 300 medical personnel from Japan, the blonde's nursing batch which had just all graduated a month back. "I can't believe this place looks very nice. Quite the opposite of Academy City."

"Keep your voice down, Tsuchimikado." Fukiyose harshly reminded him as she pushed Aogami to carry her own belongings because she reasoned out that she needed to supervise all of their batchmates into their own rooms.

As everyone was already lined up in front of what looks like to be an old-styled inn, an old lady suddenly came in front and greeted the leader of the medical team, Dr. Himuro. "_Good morning, Sir Himuro!_" The old lady with a white skirt greeted in perfect English. "_I'm looking forward to have them all stay in this place!_"

"_Good morning to you too, Madam Drori._" Doctor Himuro greeted back as she shakes hands with the Jewish woman. "_Excuse me for my rudeness but can I usher in our medical staff? We came all the way from Japan and they're a bit exhausted since this is their first time in such mission. Tomorrow, we'll have to leave for Kibbutz Kfar Giladi north of this place so I wanted them to rest so well._"

The inn-like structures was of typical mixture of Moroccan and Arabic architecture. It was an elongated two-story building made of mud bricks and tiled rooftop. The interior was largely modernized and furnished with furniture, lightings, and air conditioning units for each rooms that is normally used by foreigners who visits this northern city. As everyone was busy bringing up their stuff and personal belongings, Fukiyose, who was done checking the attendance of their batch, quietly sat down on a nearby bench as she was taking a breather with Himegami, who was likewise done in bringing up her stuff in their room at the first floor which she would share with the busty girl.

"What shall we do tomorrow?" Himegami asked as she watches a certain building about a kilometre away from their location.

"Doctor Himuro-san said that there is a medical mission in a Druze village as well as in a refuge center in the Golan Heights so we might get assigned there." Fukiyose explains as she offers her bottled water to the Miko girl, who refuses it. "It would be in shifts so what I did is that me and Tsuchimikado would be the first to go there and that you and Aogami would be the next to go the following day."

"Why is the arrangement like that, Seiri?" Himegami asked. "It's not that I don't like Aogami-kun but shouldn't we be always together especially that this is a new environment?"

"Look, I know and understand your concern but we had to mind these two idiots as well." Fukiyose made a bitter look as she couldn't believe how the idiot pair of blue and yellow managed to even be accepted as nurses while being as carefree as in their high school days. "Who knows what these two perverts would do if no one watches them. If only I had the choice in this matter, I would have banned them from even joining. In fact, I'm glad that their third idiotic friend didn't even join nursing. It might give us a headache."

"That's harsh…" Himegami whispered to herself as she then continued to watch a certain building from afar. "But you know, I wish Kamijou-kun took up nursing us well. It would have been a good reunion for the five of us."

"For you but not for me. Well, actually, not sure if it would be a good reunion." Fukiyose argued back as she fans herself. "By the way, why do you keep looking at that compound?"

"Huh? I wasn't looking anything. I was simply staring." Himegami tensed up as she noticed brown orbs looking straight at her. "It's just that—it had Japanese markings."

"Oh, I see." Fukiyose then looked at the compound as well and noticed that it was has words "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY" at its wall. "Hmmm, what could that building be?"

"I heard that it's for the peacekeeping force of Japan."

Both Fukiyose and Himegami were taken aback by the sudden appearance of Doctor Himuro, who suddenly appeared. "Recently, Japan has been active in sending out troops here in the Middle East. In fact, I can have some sense of security since the JSDF is near our place. I'm quite sure that we would all be safe here."

"True but I'll be frank. I don't really have a good impression on the SDF." Fukiyose admitted as she crosses her arms. "They're like some sort of a white elephant that Japan is continuing to maintain. Even Anti-Skill is more useful—"

"Anti-Skill and the JSDF had completely two different roles, young woman." Doctor Himuro smiled. "The former is only concerned for the security of the whole of Academy City and its students while the latter's responsibility fall mainly in the defense and security of the whole country. You might be surprised but I used to be a combat medic in the SDF's Special Forces Group before I immediately became a permanent doctor and eventually ended up in Academy City."

"The SFG…sir?" Himegami somewhat froze as she was trying to recall from whom she heard that term.

"Ah, yes. The SFG…it's really a secretive group so I can't really share you that much details." Himuro sighed as he then seats with the two ladies. "But I can share you one trivia. The SFG had formations and in turn, those formations included companies and within companies, there are platoons specializing in a different type of warfare. Each member had their own code names but have you heard the term "Lancer?" That code name is usually only reserved for the team leader who is known to have excelled in the training and recruitment process. That means he should be the best of the best."

"Hate to break it with you but I'm not interested to hear it." Fukiyose cut him off.

"Hahaha. This young generation really hates the military." Himuro chuckled. "But someday, you'll learn to appreciate them when the situation calls for it."

"I doubt that would be happening soon." Fukiyose muttered.

As the two went on, Himegami can only stare to them, wondering is she was actually imagining the right thing.

_Could…could he be in the SFG? It's frustrating that he doesn't share that much aside from the usual "I'm doing fine. No need to worry for me."_

* * *

It was supposed to be an only ordinary day for Shokuhou Misaki.

She was strolling around their university campus, looking a bit bored. "I feel so lonely and dejected from life." The now-third year nursing student is alone since her blockmate, which was none other than Misaka, wasn't present now as she was called upon by researchers to have her power demonstrated.

_I feel so bored that I wish I had my prince to be at my side. _

Speaking of that prince, she knew that is has been four years since she last saw _him. _She was now wondering what could have happened to him and why did he disappear. _If only I knew where he is, then I don't mind having to skip some days of college as long as I find him. I can only wish that he is doing fine wherever he is now._

By some kind of luck, she happened to pass by a certain room where a pinkette girl-like being was currently busy talking on the phone.

"Eh? Isn't that my prince's former teacher? What was her name again—ah, Komoe Tsukuyomi-sensei. What is she doing here?" Shokuhou muttered to herself as she momentarily looked at the teacher from the outside and was about to ignore her when she muttered something the Mental Out didn't expect to hear.

"So how's Kamijou-chan right now?"

As of moved by her automatic reflexes, Shokuhou then stopped moving and quickly leaned into the door to prevent herself from getting seen.

"_Touma-san is doing fine and in fact, he graduated in the NDA with the highest honors. I'm very proud of my own son._"

_Wait, she's talking to my prince's mother?! _Shokuhou though as she noted that the feminine voice form the other line is too loud that she can hear it loud and clear.

"I'm very proud of my former student. Honestly, I thought he didn't have any plans to continue studying when he was the only one in his class to not take nursing. But it was a little unexpected that he would become a serviceman in the JSDF."

"_At first, I was against it but he told me it would be alright so I had to endure crying every night as I thought of my little baby who had to endure his four years in a tough academy. Now, he's deployed in Israel as a peacekeeper._"

"Oh, where in Israel is he deployed right now? He might meet some of his former classmates in Academy City."

"_Last time we talked, he mentioned somewhere in Golan Heights and in the Galilee region. But my baby didn't elaborate anything…_"

"Sorry, Kamijou-san but I needed to leave now. I still had to talk to a professor here but thanks for having the free time to talk with me."

"_No problem, Tsukuyomi-sensei._"

The blonde girl then went away as Komoe then opened the door immediately and she walked off. But it didn't matter.

Shokuhou Misaki had heard what she desperately needed to hear.

_I'm going to catch you, my dear prince. _The Mental Out wore a wide smile in her face as she then thought on how lucky she knew of it without someone else hearing it.


	9. Real Baptism of Fire

_Replies for reviews_

_Guests – Ah, my apologies. I'll fix that when I have the time._

_whwsms – You'll see a lot happening._

_Sleipnir – Well, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades is technically the armed wing of Hamas although I can't assure you that they'll appear, at least not yet. _

_Sergio644 – Glad you liked it, although Misaka would make an appearance, somehow…_

_Fencer29 – Glad you liked it. Othinus would probably be in Kamijou Touma's ammunition pouch or tactical vest._

* * *

A certain pairing of newly-graduate nurses are busy sorting out some boxes of medicines as one of their doctors in their team is now bust attending into one of the 500 Syrian and Druze children who were affected by the on-going conflict in neighbouring Syria and fears of absorbing more refugees than what the Israeli and Lebanese governments can take has increased.

"Neh, Fukiyose, can I take a break now?"

"No."

"But Fukiyose-sama, I've been doing nothing but to carry boxes. Can I go somewhere?"

"No."

"But you're so…"

"No. And that's final."

Fukiyose Seiri began to sigh as she already expected this kind of behaviour from Tsuchimikado. To her defense, the blonde has been doing nothing but to sleep in the table and the "carrying boxes" excuse has been nothing but sham since he only carried one box and ditched the rest of the work in their refugee camp, which was horribly dilapidated and it's mainly composed of tents and old brick houses from past conflicts.

This was their third day in a medical mission and so far, so good. Himegami and Aogami took their turns the day before this one and the Miko girl can't help but complain that Aogami has been busy looking at young-looking Druze girls (which resulted in the latter mistaking him for a pervert and nearly throwing rocks at him.)

"This place really is horrible." A certain Doctor Izuki muttered to himself as he injects what looks like painkillers to a Syrian teen who got hit by fragments of a grenade and had to be in a quarantined part of a tent to prevent his wounds from getting affected. "This teen is only fourteen and yet, he has to experience these kinds of horrors of wars in Syria. I heard what kind of weapons that are being hit. Chemical weapons…bomblets…barrel bombs…cluster bombs…sarin and nerve gas…every kind of disgusting thing that can kill a human."

As the said kid was already sleeping, another injured refugee was rushed into the makeshift clinic and he had a leg injury which is plastered with a cast. It turns out that the said victim was hit by a Katyusha rocket while running away from their burning home and as a result, his left feet had to be amputated although he is lucky enough to have his legs intact. Tsuchimikado can't help but cover his nose at the pungent smell of blood, burned skin and flesh, and gangrene, despite the fact that he had seen worse cases in the past.

"Fukiyose-sama, let's just go back to the inn in Kiryat Shmona. I can't stand this place any longer." The blonde with dark shades complained as he fans himself with an Ushanka that was "gifted" to him by a refugee and he folded it before flipping it towards him.

"Tsuchimikado, it's only after lunch time and you know that we'll work here until five pm." Fukiyose harshly reminded him as she was busy cleaning up the wounds of a middle-aged man caused by shrapnel. "Besides, you haven't done anything significant for today." She then pointed into a group of elderly Bedouin couple who looked like they came from a long journey as they were bringing a donkey with them. "Look. Help those two elderly couple. It looks like they're running away from the conflict in Syria."

"Hai…hai…" Tsuchimikado waved off as he decided it was useless to argue back to their former class president so he just went off end offered to carry the sack of the elderly although he didn't exerted effort in even trying to help them pull the beast of burden into a more hidden shade. As the elderly couple sat down in a tent while they took a rest, Tsuchimikado walk off and began to wander around the refugee camp which was littered with medical workers, fleeing refugees, and a small and undermanned phalanx of UN peacekeepers from Congo who are busy manning their posts. Most of the Congolese blue helmets were armed with the R4 assault rifle, a South African license-built version of the Israeli Galil, itself an iteration of the Finnish RK 62, which was in turn derived from the famous AK-47.

He then sat in a large rock which looked like to be cut from a bolder and he decided to take a breather, which was caused by the weather rather than labor. He then looked at the panorama surrounding him as he can see the villages and citied beyond the Blue Line.

The Blue Line is a border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel published by the United Nations on June 2000 for the purposes of determining whether Israel had fully withdrawn from Lebanon. The Blue Line is based on the deployment of the IDF prior to 14 March 1978. It should not be confused with the Green Line, established in 1949, which is the armistice line of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The 1949 line is in turn the same as the 1923 Mandate Line which was the border between French- and British-mandated territories; Lebanon is a former French mandate and Palestine/Israel a former British mandate. The 1949 agreement stated that the border would follow the 1923 line. In 1923, 38 boundary markers were placed along the 49 mile border and a detailed text description was published. The 2000 Blue Line differs in about a half dozen short stretches from the 1949 line, though never by more than 475 meters.

But despite the implementation of the Blue Line, there were several violations of the agreement such as the Hezbollah cross-border raid as well as Israeli violations of Lebanon's airspace. In recent years, Israel has built and completed 11 kilometers of a concrete barrier along its border with Lebanon designed to protect major Israeli communities from Hezbollah infiltrations although some parts of the Golan Heights weren't walled due to political sensitivities.

As he leans into the rock, Tsuchimikado notices a Toyota pick-up truck surrounded by a group of 10 – 12 men. He would have ignored it if it wasn't for the fact that his senses are telling him that they are neither friendly forces nor do they have good intentions.

In a split matter of seconds, his gut feeling turned out to be true.

Suddenly, he heard an explosion and a blast coming out from the truck and he quickly drops to the ground. "The fuck was that?!" He screamed as realized that it was a rocket-propelled grenade. Minutes later, it had impacted a nearby tent and this caused the whole refugee camp to suddenly run around in panic.

"Shit!" Tsuchimikado stood up and quickly run back to the camp as gunfire and rockets flying were immediately heard. He then saw that the Congolese peacekeepers were desperately fighting back as they are all firing their weapons.

It was utterly chaos.

Men, women, and children were all running wildly in all directions as the refugee camp was beginning to get surrounded by a group of bandits in Toyota pickups while firing their DShK machine guns into the crowd, killing dozens of people.

"Fukiyose! Fukiyose!" Tsuchimikado shouted as he weaved into the crowd of refugees trying to escape from the slaughter but the moment he finally got nearby where he knows it's the tent of the medical staff, a grenade suddenly exploded nearby, causing the shockwave the catapult him somewhere and he ended up landing hard in a mud hut. For the moment, he felt stars surrounding him as he slowly stands up.

Suddenly, he saw a mass of brawny men with Kalashnikov rifles and RPGs beginning to grab any innocent civilian that they can get and by instinct, Tsuchimikado grabbed a young girl who was trying to run away from the danger and immediately, he kicks the door of the mud hut open and luckily, he finds a bed and a cabinet. He immediately hid underneath the large wooden bed while covering themselves with a large blanket he found. "_Kid, shhh…_" The blonde motioned to the girl, who only nodded to him as Tsuchimikado motioned also to keep quiet as they waited for the massacre to end. In ten more minutes, he and the girl kept in silent motion as gunfire continued to erupt. After those ten minutes passed, everything suddenly came to a halt.

"_Ekhwah _(**A/N: Brother in Arabic**)_, is it okay to go outside now?_" The girl asked in Arabic-accented English.

"_Uhm…not yet. Let's wait for a few more minutes._" Tsuchimikado whispered as they lie down motionlessly.

True to his word, they both finally got out of the mud house after Tsuchimikado determined that it was safe for now to get out of the place. Walking out of the mud brick structure, Tsuchimikado and the girl were met with the sight of littered corpse everywhere as they were walking their way to the main medical clinic. Seeing the sight of a male body almost decapitated probably due to the large calibre of the machine gun that hit him, Tsuchimikado turned away his head as he walks the girl in his hands.

"_Yo, what's your name?_" Tsuchimikado asked the young girl.

"_My name's Aisha and I'm a Lebanese Druze._" The girl named Aisha introduced herself as they walk to the place where Tsuchimikado was carrying bozes.

"_Tsuchimikado Motoharu or just call me Motoharu if you can't pronounce my surname._" The blonde said in a blank manner as the latter saw a few people who had survived by hiding at mud huts as well emerging and scanning at the damage done by the attackers.

_And seriously, where's Fukiyose?_

"Thank God you're alive."

Tsuchimikado jumped out at hearing Japanese and he was slightly glad to see Dr. Izuki alive and well. The doctor had his coat stained with blood although he doesn't seem to suffer any injuries aside from a slight bruise in his arm. "Tsuchimikado, I have phoned at the nearby JSDF camp and they are on their way now. I have also called our other colleagues about what happened."

"Huh? The JSDF? Why?" Tsuchimikado raised his eyebrows as he then remembered something. "Those blue helmets? Aren't they supposed to be the first…"

He stopped from continuing his speech as he glances into one corner and saw a Congolese peacekeeper arranging the corpse of the ten of his countrymen, all bloodied and with a headshot.

"All the UN peacekeepers here tried to fight back but they ran out of ammunition." Dr. Izuki explained. "That Congolese ran away for safety and he dragged me into a mudhouse with few other nurses who managed to escape the brutality." He said with regret as he was moved with pity towards the peacekeeper who is crying out for losing a number of his countrymen.

"I…I see…." Tsuchimikado was about to drop the topic when suddenly, he remembered something. "Dr. Izuki-san, where's Fukiyose?"

"Fukiyose-san? Ah…" Dr. Izuki's face grew grimmer as he looks downwards. "She must have been abducted along with the rest of the medical staff and some civilan volunteers. When I looked back while the Congolese was dragging us to safety, I briefly saw an armed bandit knocker her unconscious with a white cloth before tying her up before they took her away. I don't know what happened to her right now. We can only pray to Kami-sama that they don't do any harm to her and to the rest of your fellow nurses."

Hearing this, Tsuchimikado can only mutter a small 'Shit' as he looks at the back at the landscape of the whole area. "I hate to say this but the UN peacekeepers that are with us are ineffective to retrieve them back. We had only two choices now: ask the JSDF to help us or we ask the Israelis to help us."

"Idiot! You do know that they can rape Fukiyose any time!" Tsuchimikado, despite the past he shared with the unlucky girl, yelled angrily as he showed concern. "Seriously, we should call now if we want to retrieve them!"

Suddenly, a nurse came running towards them.

"Dr. Izuki!" The male nurse said, handing a phone. "I have called received a message from the JSDF command center that they would be sending a few officers to secure you all. Dr. Himuro also replied to my message and he said that he had notified the Special Forced Group so that if they receive the word, they'll immediately act on it."

"Harada, hand me the phone, then." Izuki said.

* * *

There are a lot of things that can give Kamijou Touma a headache.

He just gotten into a brief firefight early in morning with some Al-Nusra front militants in the Golan Heights and while at a firefight, Kamijou found out that the Type 89 he had picked up hastily has jammed so he was forced to use a submachine gun to fight back. Then there is the moment where he got involved in a local brawl between two Bedouin sheperds and he ended up almost shooting his own foot.

_Such misfortune._

Right now, he was sitting in their quarters at Kiryat Shmona while the rest of his men in his platoon were busy relaxing or cleaning their equipment. Kurata was occupied in checking the engine of their Komatsu LAV while Fujima was cleaning his carbine.

_Finally, a moment of peace._

Or rather, he had spoken to soon, too much.

_Crrriiiing!_

"Sir! The phone's ringing!" Jin Shoichi called out as he was dragging their Howa Type 96 to the maintenance unit.

Lazily, Kamijou answered the phone.

"Hello! Team Leader codenamed Lancer of the SFG here_._"

"_Hello sir! This is Dr. Izuki Taro of the Medical Mission of Academy City. We need assistance._" The caller replied. "_Dr. Himuro Sakuta said that…_"

"Hold on…" Kamijou replied. "A medical mission? What mission is this? And is this notified by the JSDF already? We haven't…"

"_Sir, please. It's urgent. And yes, we're notified to call you which is why we have your number._" The caller continued before suddenly, the line went blurry.

_This is odd. _Kamijou said to himself as he heard what looks like incoherent babblings in the other line. Then suddenly, the call resumed.

Only this time, in a voice that made Kamijou Touma jump in shock.

"_Hello! We needed your help!_" The familiar voice said. "_Some of our nurses are abducted and…_"

"Tsu-Tsucimikado? Is that you?" Kamijou can't help but blurt out.

The conversation stayed silent before the person at the other line continued as he screeched.

"_Eh?! Kami-yan?!_" The man in the other line screamed. "_Is that really you? Scratch that, you're a JSDF member, much less an SFG?!" _

"Hnn. Yeah, Tsuchimikado, it's me." Kamijou recognized the whiny voice and continued talking. "So what's this all about…"

"_Eh?! Playboy Kami-yan became a true man!_" The caller shrieked. "_By the way, Kami-yan, we seriously needed some help. Our classmate…Fukiyose…_"

"Ah…Fukiyose…wait…what happened?" Kamijou can't process things right away.

"_Fukiyose…she got abducted by armed men who raided our medical camp!_"

"Huh…wait?! Say that one more time!"

"_Had you become deaf in four years?! I said Fukiyose got abducted! Our classmate! We…_"

Suddenly, the telephone slipped hilariously from Kamijou's hands although there was nothing funny about the situation that the spiky haired boy is facing.

_Shit…Fukiyose got abducted. Damn…how could this happen to someone like her?! Someone who doesn't have anything to do with this…this mess…_

He punched the wall in anger as he blurted out one phrase.

"Don't worry, Fukiyose. We're coming for you…"


	10. Race Against Time

_Replies for reviews_

_Guest(1) – Got you on that._

_whwsms – Sorry if Tsuchimikado looked a bit…OOC. _

_Sleipnir – Of course._

_Fencer29 – Sorry for the typo. _

_Rajarshi Sarkar – Nah, I'm good. Don't really need that 'kiss.' But hey, thanks for that piece of review._

_FAFNIR9029 – Gracias…_

_Guest(2) – Sorry. Can't really promise you if they would appear_

* * *

"Sir, this is going to be a risky mission."

Fujima Nobunaga reminded their team leader as they were currently meeting with their commander back in Camp Narashino via a call. After receiving the reports from the JSDF about the abduction of Japanese medical staff from Academy City, including ten nurses who are fresh graduates, Kamijou Touma quickly gathered his men in their meeting room at Kiryat Shmona where they talked about how they should rescue the Japanese hostages and if they'll be requiring help from Israel's special force units.

"Risky or not, we'll have to recover them." Kamijou replied as he still cannot believe that one of the hostages happened to be none other than Fukiyose, whom his former classmates told that she was now in great danger. "But of course, we still need to ask some special authorization from the higher-ups."

They were currently waiting for some go-signal from Colonel Hinata Takenori, the over-all commander of all the companies and units of the Special Forces Group. As they were all waiting, Kamijou is already preparing for possible combat as he cleans his SOPMOD M4 carbine while attaching the M203 grenade launcher. The others also did the same while Jin Shoichi was already cleaning up the M2 Browning machine gun that they'll use as well as stocking some spare barrels. Kurata was currently outside of the meeting room as he was busy speaking with Doctor Izuki and the few people, including nurses, refugees, and children, that were able to escape the onslaught of the armed bandits.

"Dammit…can't we not get some details already?" Kamijou Touma gritted his teeth as the call was getting too long for him to wait further. "So that we can pinpoint where Fukiyose and the others are located and…"

"Sir…" Kawasaki suddenly interrupted him before he can recklessly say something foolish. "Even if you're the team leader here, you cannot merely act based on feelings and emotions. We still had to wait for the signal from Col. Hinata. Be professional enough. You said it yourself that your classmate is in danger. Remember, you're bound by the constitution of Japan, not the rules of Academy City. It's not only some few familiar individuals you had responsibility; basically, it's the Japanese citizenry."

"Yo-You're right…" Kamijou conceded in defeat as he sighed and calmed down.

"The only good news here is that the armed bandits that kidnapped them are probably not connected with neither ISIS nor the Hezbollah." Fujime tried to make the tense atmosphere lighter. "If ever they did it, then they should have broadcasted it or at least, claim responsibility. Apparently, they're one of those splinter Islamist groups that engage in child trafficking, slave trade, drug trade, oil smuggling, and other crimes."

"Then the more we should be concerned." Sergeant First Class Tanaka Daiki said in a depressed manner as he clutched his M4 carbine. "Off all people, why did it happen to them?"

"You can't help it if you're in the most violent region of the Middle East." Fujima replied as he cocks his Heckler & Koch USP semi-automatic pistol chambered in .45 ACP cartridge. "Either way, it looks like we'll be looking out for more trouble in this land."

After a few more minutes, Kurata came barging in as he sweated.

"Yo, Kurata." Fujima called him out. "Got some news?"

"Yep. A lot. And it's bad." Kurata replied as he sits down. "It's true that they're not connected with Hezbollah or Daesh but from the information given to me from the elderly Lebanese refugees there, they're from a town just near the border between Israel and Lebanon. In other words, it's an hour from this place. And it would be nice if we strike now later at midnight."

Kamijou heard this vital piece of information coming from their Master Sergeant and quickly asked. "What? You already have an idea on where we can track them?"

"Sir, I've sent some scouts from the JSDF stationed in Golan Heights for some reconnaissance at exactly 17 hundred hours and one of the phones of the captives was used by the kidnappers to relay a message on us." Kurata explained while holding the cellphone of one of the nurses. "Here sir. Read the message."

Kamijou took the device from Kurata's hand and began to read the message. "In exchange for the safety and release of these fifty people, we need $200 million as a pay. Bastra hamlet outside of Shebaa Farms. Don't bring any Israeli authorities here in our place. In two days, no money means death."

Kamijou can only grip the phone in his right hand as he was welling up in anger deep inside. _Damn! Damn! If only my right hand can cancel out these atrocity…_

"Sir, Commander Hinata has called!" Tanaka suddenly called out as he then opens the laptop as well as the webcam. Quickly, Kamijou went to the desk and faced their commander as he salutes. "Sir! Second Lieutenant Kamijou Touma reporting!"

Hinata salutes from the screen before replying. "_I have heard the disaster in the refugee camp. Currently, Academy City still haven't received the news yet although I'll be relaying it to their Anti-Skill authorities once I get a full report of the incident. Any updates from the hostage crisis?_"

"Sir, we're currently preparing for a night raid at a hamlet called Bastra just outside Shebaa farms." Kamijou replied. "As the team leader, I'm now requesting that we be allowed to execute a _camisado _at exactly 24 hundred hours in the enemy base to immediately retrieve the hostages. I'm also requesting for backup in case the enemy forces had the numerical advantage."

"_All right, then. I'll give you full authority. I entrust that you'll save the hostages swiftly, Second Lieutenant Kamijou._" Hinata was already giving him the permission to conduct a lightning raid at midnight. "_Before you act, make sure that the kidnappers don't see this coming. I'll coordinate with the commander of the Sayeret Matkal to see if they can assist you in everything you need. Other than that, use every available resources you have to quickly recover them with minimum to zero casualties if possible. I'll call you again._" Hinata then salutes before the line went off.

As Kamijou Touma had stood up to prepare his men for possible combat, Kurata was busy speaking with the scouts that he had sent away to loiter around the enemy's position after he gathered enough information. Apparently, the JSDF also used a Honeywell RQ-16 T-Hawk UAV from their base in Acre to help map out the possible positions of the enemy that they are going to engage.

"Sir!" Kurata called out to Kamijou after putting down his phone. "We've got some tip. Apparently, the hamlet of Bastra is nothing more than three large houses surrounded by smaller mud huts. It's possible than the hostages are kept in either one of the three houses. Based from the information sent by the scouts as well as the images from the drone's camera, the armed guards are no more than a hundred but they all seemed to be armed with AKs and RPGs. The recon party even spotted a couple of Katyusha launchers. As of the moment, we're confirming the place."

"Did you reply back to the text?" Kamijou further asked.

"Yes. We said that we'll meet in one o'clock later in the morning." Kurata replied. "Right now, what we're doing is coordinating with the officials from the IDF to cross the border. In terms of estimated time, we're exactly an hour and a half from their place."

"If the place is clear, then let's prepare for possible engagement." Kamijou then gave an order. "Everyone, get ready. Reload your rifles and...wait…how shall we get there?"

Kurata and Kawasaki only facepalmed at the last sentence before the former replied. "It would be too dangerous if we ride in our military vehicles so I asked some of the refugees here if they know a faster way to get to Bastra. Luckily, there is this elder Druze guy who said he's willing to guide us. But more importantly, there is this girl named Aisha and she's the most helpful. It seems that she had seen this violent group before as she said they're the same bandits who regularly raids refugee camps from the past."

Kamijou nodded.

"By the way, there is someone who wants to speak to you, Kamijou."

"Eh? Me? Who?" The young man with spiky hair was confused. _Who is it? It can't be Othinus, right? She's in my room. _

"Someone with blonde hair and dark shades, I think." Kurata replied, putting his right hand in his chin. "He insisted that he wanted to talk to you."

"Oh…I see…" Kamijou grimaced as he knew who Kurata was talking about. "Then excuse me for the moment. Kurata, tell me the details when I come back. This will be quick." After Kurata mouthed off a "Yes Sir!" to him, Kamijou then went outside of the planning room to head quickly to the session hall where some of the refugees are waiting for updates on their abducted love ones.

Once he got outside of the planning room after wearing his balaclava, Kamijou Touma was immediately met with a sea of white as he met Tsuchimikado's eyes hidden beneath his dark shades. _Make this quick, Tsuchimikado. _He thought as he realized Tsuchimikado wasn't the only one.

"Kami-yan…"

"Kamijou-kun…"

"Kamijou…"

Against the sea of white uniforms of his former high school classmates, Kamijou's Type III camouflage was in dot in the crowd as he heard the voices of Tsuchimikado, Aogami, and Himegami calling out to him. It looks like they were still shocked at the incident back in

"Make it quick." He said in a gruff voice as he faces Tsuchimikado, who merely grins.

"It's been a while, Kami-yan." The blonde began speaking as he noticed the Heckler & Koch USP .45 ACP pistol tucked in his military belt. "I can't imagine you holding a gun, much less killing a person. It surprises me that you've become an SDF serviceman."

"Can we just…talk about that later?" Kamijou knew from his past interactions with Tsuchimikado that this talk would last longer than he like so he decided to put a dot on it right now. "We still have to rescue Fukiyose and the rest of the hostages so I'll be leaving now."

"But Kami-yan, don't ya think Fukiyose would suffer a heart attack when she sees you?" Aogami said before he can even step away from his current location. "If you don't know, she actually thinks you had wasted away your life the moment you walked out of Academy City."

Kamijou gave him a weird expression before he attempted to walk away again.

"Kamijou-kun…"

Himegami's soft voice stopped him again from going back to their planning room. "Uh…yes, Himegami?"

The Miko girl had to calm down herself as it looked like her eyebags were showing. "Kamijou-kun….please bring her back…"

Kamijou heard the request loud and clear and he gave her a blank look before giving a "hnn" and saying, "Yeah, I will…" before going back to the planning room quietly.

In just thirty minutes, the sixteen-man team had already prepared for a night operation as they were all in battle gear. After wearing their boonie hats, they were prepared for a big fight. Kamijou had already rechecked his tactical gear to make sure he had his magazine pouches filled in and had his communication gear in full power with fresh batteries.

"Sir!" Kurata suddenly called him out.

"Yeah?"

"We won't take the LAVs. Under the darkness of the Lebanese desert, we'll all go to Bastra through the use of garbage trucks under the guise that it's transporting biodegradable waste in Beirut." Kurata explains

"How will that help us?" Kamijou asked.

"According to some of the refugees here, it's very normal for Lebanese and Syrian truck drivers to pass through the roads near Bastra and it's always day and night." Kurata explains as he then cocks his M4 carbine. "If we can get to their place undetected, the element of surprise will work in favour of us."

"Sounds good." Kamijou replied. "Did you contact the Sayeret already?"

"Yeah. Commander Rivlin said he'll give us special permission to cross the Israeli-Lebanon border in Shebaa farms." The young man with the crew cut hair replied as he showed a text coming from their SFG commander. "Normally, there are no IDF troops that are allowed on Lebanese soil but they said they'll coordinate with us."

"Then we're all set." Kamijou replied. "By the way, before we go, give me a moment. I need to get back at my room."

"You're the team leader here. We'll wait for you."

After the briefing with Kurata, Kamijou then went to his room where he sleeps. After rechecking once again his equipment, he then knocked into a neaby wooden box with a hole in it. After knocking hard, a drowsy Othinus emerged from the hole and angrily grumbles.

"Human, what's with you waking me up at this hour?!"

"Sorry there Othinus but…" Kamijou grimaced as he didn't really want to do this but he figured it would be better than explaining to the tiny former Magic God later in the morning. "I need your help this time."

In a few minutes, Othinus was already riding in the magazine pouch intended for NATO STANAG mags.

"Where are we going now, human?"

Kamijou sighed before replying. "We're entering a hornet's nest two hours from here."

* * *

"Will Touma be fine?"

Some 9,079 kilometers and eleven hours away from Israel, Index has been blankly staring into the window of his brother-figure's room as she was biting a piece of cookie. It has been a week since his partner had departed for the Middle East. After staring into the window, she then stood up and decided to stare into the wall and cabinet containing the medals, the graduation certificate, a golden plaque, the Saber of the Emperor, the Medallion of Excellence, and his graduation portrait.

Suddenly, Sphynx, her calico cat, suddenly entered the room and began to purr.

"Neh, Sphynx?" Index took the cat and laid her in her lap. "Do you think Touma would be fine? If you're going to ask me, I don't want him to be a soldier. It's better if we're here together and we're having fun every day after his work."

Sphynx seemed to understand her pain as the cat meows.

"I know! Why don't we find something to eat at the kitchen?" Index decided that she's hungry and immediately, she brought the cat along with her as she goes down immediately to the kitchen. "Shiina! Shiina!"

"Yes, Index-san?" Now, Kamijou Shiina was busy cooking some lunch for them as she smiled sweetly at the nun. Despite the silver-haired nun's notorious reputation as a gluttonous eater, the young-looking mother found her easy to take care as she promised to her son that they'll watch out for Index while he is away in his duty.

"When will Touma come back?" Index asked.

"Touma-san? He said that they'll be back in three months." Shiina replied as she lays out the fried drum sticks on a bowl. "Bear with it, Index-san. I know how much you love our son to be always by your side but he had his obligations as an SDF serviceman. It's normal to have that feeling as parents when you have a son that is serving in the military."

Index smiled sadly as she nodded while she took the drum sticks and was prepared to eat when suddenly, they heard a doorbell.

"Index-san, that must be a letter for you." Shiina said. "Last time I checked it, it was addressed to you like always in the past four years. For some reasons, you always receive such letters."

_It's probably money sent by Necessarius! _Index can't help but temporarily forget her sadness from not seeing her Touma often as she stood up and ran to the door. When she opened the main door, she was surprised to see who it is. There is no mailman. There is no letter as well. Rather, it was someone else.

It was a brunette girl.

The one that Index doesn't really enjoy seeing.

This girl is clad in white nursing scrub uniform and white shoes. She had chestnut hair and is seen wearing a small hair clip with two little flowers. Her eyes are the same color as her hair and her chest is modest in size.

There are a lot of things she wanted to blurt out but there is only one sentence she can tell out of her confusion.

"What are you doing here, Short Hair?!"

* * *

**Author's Notes: Just wanted to tell that I have been busy so far so this chapter is actually rushed a bit. I just wanted to get back to my focus on this one after updating "Seventh Prodigy" my other story. And just wanted to share, I'm that kind of writer who don't really plan what the events ahead. I just keep writing based on what ideas that will emerge in my on-the-spot brainstorming. **

**See you next time! **


	11. Touma to the Rescue

_Replies for reviews_

_whwsms – Fukiyose's illusions will start to be shattered at this chapter._

_Sleipnir – Ye, that's going to be pretty interesting._

_SciFi Maker – He's going to put good use to it._

_Fencer29 – Of course, sparks will fly between them. _

_Hakimsohit51 – Just read the Author's notes below._

_Rajarshi Sarkar – Just read the Author's notes below. And goodness, why would I re-release a chapter? I'm only wasting my time in doing that._

* * *

Misaka Mikoto has been growing restless these past few days.

Now in her third year in a certain university as a nursing student, the Level 5 Electromaster had been impatiently tapping her pencil in her chair as their professor was busy discussing something about broken bones and torn cartilages. _He's just so boring. _She mentally cringes as their professor is one of those types who can be called the "too-traditional" ones when it comes to their way of teaching. In fact, their professor in work ethics is even lovelier to teach as she is someone who incorporates fun in their discussions. _Can someone just sent this old man to retirement? _Misaka sighed as their elderly professor was busy scratching the chalk in their board.

As the time passes on, her mind then floats into another topic far from what their professor is talking about.

_It's been four years, huh? What really happened to that idiot?_

She can't help but think again about a certain spiky haired boy whom she had seen last four years ago. _I can't help but remember how stupid he looks in his high school graduation. _Then she sighed. The courses that the batch of the boy was the reason why she also took the same nursing course, hoping that she can reunite with him. _But from what I heard and what I see, it looks like he took an entirely different path. Where did he even take his college studies? No, scratch that. Did he even studied at all? _

She then turns to the empty chair beside her that was supposedly occupied by none other than the 5th ranked Level 5 in Shokuhou. _And now, Shokuhou isn't present as well? What the hell is she up to right now? _She doubted, though, that it can be related to the boy even if she wanted to think the possibility.

If she herself got fooled into taking nursing as well, what are the chances that she knows something about the fate of the boy, right?

Suddenly, he happened to hear his male classmate discuss something that is very much conflicting with the course that they have all taken. "Why do you look worried, Tanaka-kun?" A classmate Misaka only remembers as Tanaka suddenly whispered to the guy beside him.

"My mother has been always worried ever since my older brother left for the Middle East." The second guy said. "He's in the JSDF, for your information. Obviously, we can't help but fear for his safety."

_That's Tanaka Daisuke, isn't it? _Misaka said in her mind as she once became group mates with Tanaka in one of their class activities. _And he had an older brother who is in the JSDF? _It's not like she mind his business as she yawned.

After the classes, she then went outside of her room as it was the last subject of their day and that her schedule is in the morning. "Goodness, I just can't stand that professor." She grumbled as she decided to go to a nearby parfait shop to eat something sweet. But as she lined up, she can't help but think again about the spiky haired boy. _Kami-sama, it's making my head spin the moment I remember his stupid smile. Speaking of which, what the hell happened to that silver sister? _

She knew that in the boy's three years in high school, that silver-haired nun was living with him for also three straight years. _And what happened to her as well? _

Already getting frustrated by the those two people in her mind, she was lucky enough that Shirai wasn't around to annoy her or she might accidentally zap her out of her bad mood. The teleporter's schedule in college is in the afternoon since she had Judgment duties so it is close to impossible that they can meet each other in university, although they share the same dormitory room.

Suddenly, an idea popped out of her mind like a bulb suddenly lightening up.

_If that idiot won't show up, then I'll be the one who'll find him. _She then pulls out her phone as she contacts a certain number. After a few rings, the caller from the other end replied.

"_Mikoto-chan…what made you call at this time?_" The voice of her mother was heard as she sweetly asks her daughter what's the fuss.

"Mom, you're friends with that boy's mother, right?" Misaka blared as was very much impatient to get answers.

"_The boy's mother? Ah, you mean, the boy's mother? Yes! I'm friends with her! Why do you ask?_" Misuzu asked curiously.

"I just wanted to ask something from his mother. Do you know where they live?" Misaka asked.

"_Ah! I was actually planning to visit their family because I wanted to bring his mother some of my baked cookies. Do you want to come here with me? We can visit the Kamijous together._" Misuzu offered.

Misaka didn't waste any time as she jumped at the rare chance that was offered to her and she just needed only to bite at the bait that was presented in front of her. "Yes, mom! I really just needed to talk to either that guy or his mother! I just needed to clear up some things in my mind."

"_Okay, Mikoto-chan. I'll go there in Academy City to pick you up. Do you have Saturday classes?_" Misuzu asked.

"None, mom. So we'll be going out on a Saturday?"

"_Yes, Mikoto-chan. By the way, do you want to bring out your friends?_" Misuzu was cheerful from the other line. "_I'm pretty sure that you wanted them to have fun as well._"

A heavy feeling of distress and dread suddenly enveloped Misaka's mind as she bit her lip. It was fine if it's just Saten and Uiharu but she knew that until now, Shirai hasn't totally accepted the 'ape' in their circle. "Uhm…no thanks. It's just fine that it would be me. I wanted to have some bonding time with my first superhero in the person of my mother." She added with dramatics.

"_You're so sweet Mikoto-chan!_"

* * *

And to cut the long story short, that's what led the two Misakas on this present situation.

Misaka Mikoto and Misaka Misuzu was riding on a taxi as they were on their way to the eastern part of Tokyo prefecture at Katsushika Ward, just bordering Chiba Prefecture and Saitama Prefecture. As they were on their way to their home, Misuzu kept firing up questions to her only daughter, who was flustered with her inquiries.

"So Mikoto-chan, what is your reason why you wanted to go with me here?" Misuzu was practically teasing her own daughter.

"Stop it, mom!" Misaka was flustered as she was denying it vehemently. "I told you, I just needed some answers."

In a matter of minutes, they have finally reached the residence of the Kamijou Family. Standing in a higher ground, the house is a large, two-story edifice with a slanted roof, balcony, with their garage being carved out of the raised, limestone platform. A small vegetable garden is in front of their house.

"Mikoto-chan! We're here now!" Misuzu said as she brought out the basket of snacks that she brought with them. "Now that I think it again, their house is quite big."

"That's not the problem, mom." Misaka sighed as they now both walked up the stairs leading directly to the door of the house. The moment they reached the door, Misaka didn't waste time as she immediately pressed the doorbell and immediately, a loud cling was heard.

After only a few seconds, the door was opened and the moment it was opened, Misaka didn't expect to meet the very person that she didn't even had a plan to see. _Silver hair…white robes…short height…what the heck…_

"What are you doing here, Short Hair?!" The voice of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum echoed as the nun was getting irritated with the unexpected guests.

"And just what are you doing here, Silver Sister?!" Misaka was now getting irritated as well. "Much less, why are you here in their house?!"

"And just who are you to question—"

"Now, girls." Misuzu stepped in immediately to prevent the shouting match from turning ugly and violent. "Let's not get too much hot headed. Why don't we go inside?"

And immediately, the three were ushered in where Misuzu was met immediately by Shiina, who was more than ecstatic to see her best friend visiting them. "Misuzu-san, glad to see you here! Oh and you even brought your daughter? Too bad my son isn't here with us for now."

After the little greetings, Shiina immediately ushers the two Misakas to their living room and as she escorts them to the sofa, she said, "I'm cooking something for lunch and snacks so wait me here as I turn off the stove and I'll bring some cold drinks. Index-san will entertain you all."

And thus, it was eerily quiet as the three wait for the mother of the 'idiot.' Misaka kept twitching in irritation at Index and the silver-haired nun was doing the same thing. Misuzu just smiled awkwardly at the scene as she was scanning the living room. The living room was pleasing to the eyes with its photos hanging in the walls, lucky statuettes and items displayed in the shelf, and even a small aquarium of a goldfish. Until Misuzu's eyes caught a row of five portraits of different but with similar-looking dark blue uniforms and a cap.

"Oh my…isn't that the boy you're having a crush with?" Misuzu's hand was covering her mouth as if she didn't expect what she just saw.

"Hah?" Misaka lazily scanned her eyes to where her mother was pointing to but the moment she did saw the last portrait, she almost choked as her sleepy brain immediately went full-ballisric mode. "What the—that's really him! Wait a minute, what uniform is he wearing?!" She hadn't seen this kind of uniform even in Academy City.

"Well…it looks like the uniform you usually see in marine academies or in army parades…." Misuzu tried to recall the time when she saw that kind of familiar uniform.

Before Misaka can react, a fourth voice had beaten her to it as Shiina had come in and was carrying a tray of soda and finger foods. "Oh my….so you have seen the portrait of my son, his two grand-uncles, and his two uncles. It's an interesting story."

Once she sat down, Shiina offered the Misakas her ball bites in exchange for the cookies that Misuzu had brought. They all began to eat the treats as Shiina began to tell the story behind the five portraits. "You see, when my son had graduated from Academy City, me and Touya-san originally wanted him to take nursing like what his classmates did but the next day, he told us that he had passed the entrance examination of the National Defense Academy of Japan and he take his college there. Actually, I was really against it but Touya-san and his one surviving uncle who is now based on abroad encouraged him so in the end, he ended up entering a military academy."

Throughout the whole story, Misaka wanted to puke with each detail that she is beginning to hear. _Military academy? _She then realized something more horrible. _You mean…the JSDF? The one everyone was protesting in Academy City? _

"It must have been tough for you as a mother." Misuzu understands her best friend as she sips her drink.

"For a while, it was really painful for me every night." Shiina mused. "But as the months pass by, I got used to it already though I can't still help but worry for him. Touma-san said that his superiors there are a hundred times scarier than his teachers in Academy City. Oh…by the way…Touma-san graduated as the valedictorian of their upperclass batch so we're really proud of him…"

Misaka almost spitted her cookies the moment she heard that information. "What?! That idiot?! A valedictorian?!"

"Yes." Shiina said cheerfully. "His three other relatives must be cheering from heaven. His two granduncles were part of the first batch of the NDA cadets when the military academy of the JSDF was first established. Then his two uncles were the next generation in our family. That makes Kamijou-san the third generation to graduate from the NDA in our family."

"The warrior blood must have run in your veins." Misuzu chuckled as Misaka, already paling from the revelations she is hearing, was feeling weak in her knees. _Why didn't I know this earlier?! _

"I know…" At this point, Index had decided to speak as well. "I can show you Touma's awards and pictures of him when he is in that academy."

"Please do show them, Index-san." Shiina encourages her as they all stood up to take the Misakas into the boy's bedroom. Once they were on the bedroom, Index began to narrate proudly as she points to a certain photo. "This photo is showing him shooting some targets. Shiina said that among his peers, he's the best when it comes to handling their iron staves." Index didn't exactly know the name of the Colt M4A1 carbine that her partner is holding while wearing a pair of Remington T-72 shooting glasses.

"He looks fierce there." Misuzu knodded in approval as Mikoto can only glare at the photo, as if a gun and that 'idiot' can never be together realistically.

"This one is the time where Touma had now graduated." Index narrated next as she points to a photo where her partner was saluting to the Emperor of Japan.

"Oh my? He had the opportunity to stand with the Emperor of Japan?" Misuzu was very much astonished as she then looked at the large medal and the saber that is also hung in the wall. "Is that his awards, Shiina-san?"

"Yes, he got the Saber of the Emperor for completing his Ranger course and the large medal for being the valedictorian." Shiina then pointed to a plaque. "And that plaque, he got for being the best marksman in their batch…"

"And where is he right now?" Misuzu asked.

"Somewhere in the Golan Heights in the Galilee region of Israel." Shiina put a hand in her chin. "He said that they are deployed there as peacekeepers…"

Suddenly, Misaka blurted out something that she didn't expect she could say in front of the two mothers.

"Why did you allow him to enter that academy?" The Level 5 electromaster asked in a low but intense voice.

"Mikoto-chan…"

"Did you know that he can die there at any given moment?" Misaka kept up the attacks. "What if something bad happens to him?! What if he suddenly got into an accident because of his stupidity and his behaviour of barging into a fight without even thinking?! What if…"

"Mikoto-chan…what is happening to you?" Misuzu snapped her daughter out of her endless thoughts of worries.

"Ah…I'm sorry…I just…"

"You're too much of a worrywart, short hair…" Index said. "Touma will always come home in good shape."

Misaka wanted to strangle the nun right now but she just suppressed the urge, seeing that the two mothers were looking at her with weird looks. "Ah….hahaha…looks like we needed to talk about some other stuff, Shiina-san." Misuzu decided to shift the topic, which Shiina decided to awkwardly go with it. But as they were now going out of the room, Misaka suddenly pulled Index aside.

"Hey, short hair, what are you…"

"Make a deal with me."

"Huh?"

"Make a deal with me." Misaka looked a bit desperate. "I don't get why that idiot had to enter the academy of an organization that we used to protest together but I needed to see him right now and clear some things."

"See him? You're saying you wanted to go to Israel?"

"That's right. If possible, I'll have to drag him to bring him back to Academy City." Misaka was stubborn.

"Eh? But short hair, I don't think you can simply do that…" Index was no curious of the intentions of Misaka.

"Believe me. I'll bring him back this time." Misaka was determined. "Besides, I can't really imagine him being in the military so I'll correct that. Deal with me, silver sister. You guide me to Israel and we'll find him together."

"So you'll feed me while we're on a journey?"

_Good grief….I forgot this nun's heavy appetite. _Misaka sighed as she concedes and said. "Fine, I'll feed you."

"Yay! So when will we depart?"

"You're free tomorrow? I'll pass by this house." Misaka laid out her plans while rejoicing that at least, she already knew where that idiot's house is. "Bring only what you need or else, I'll kick you out of my plans."

"Yeah, yeah, short hair." Index replied with a huff.

_So I'll beat that witch Shokuhou and get to that idiot first. _Misaka smiled in victory as she raised her fists. _I'm pretty sure she's finding him but we'll make a headstart farther from her! _

* * *

_Achoo! _

"Eh, what was that?" A certain female blonde with starry eyes wondered aloud as she was comfortable sitting in her business seat in a commercial place which was bound for the David Ben Gurion Airport southeast of Tel-Aviv.

"Hehehe, never mind. As long as I get to the prince first, I will be fine." She chuckled to herself as she eats her sweets.

* * *

"Roseline. This is Lancer. Any details?"

Kamijou Touma, his band of SFG commandos, a number of regular JSDF serving as reinforcements, and a few elements of the Sayeret Matkal provided secretly by the IDF had entered the Blue Line boundary of Lebanon and Israel in garbage trucks to serve two purposes; to disguise them and to have a larger carrying capacity for the refugees and hostages. After almost an hour of driving, they were within a kilometre of Bastra. It was at this point where those who would be engaged in a possible fight dismounted from the trucks and decided to walk stealthily under the cover of darkness dotted by the few shining stars. Kamijou had ordered Kawasaki, Yamashita, and Yuko to remain behind the trucks and act as their surveillance operators.

Right now, Kamijou had ordered them not to wear their balaclavas for now as he was feeling sweaty for some reasons.

"_Lancer, ten heat sources north of your current location. Designating them as targets Alpha 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10._" Kawasaki tonelessly said as their drone was hovering undetected above the hornet's nest.

"This is Lancer. Any weak gaps?" Kamijou asked as he clutched his SOPMOD M4 Carbine while swapping out his regular reflex sights for a red dot sight.

"_Current enemy to your north and the south of the hamlet is the weakest link. Gate between NNE and NNW had 30 heat targets. Pincer attack, understood?_"

"Roger." Kamijou then made a signal to the other SFG commandos, the regular JSDF infantry, and the Sayeret, who were all armed with Tavor X95s. Since any involvement of Israel in Lebanon is politically sensitive, this was done very meticulously and in total secrecy as the IDF agreed to help them.

Commander Benjamin Rivlin, the team leader of the Israelis, understood Kamijou's signal and they split.

"_Lancer, Saber, Ruskie, Archer, Gargoyle, eliminate targets Alpha 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10._" Kawasaki said from the other line.

"To be honest, this isn't how I envisioned war." Kamijou sighed as they observed their targets.

"Modern warfare is either fourth-generation warfare which is a blend of police tactics and guerrilla warfare or operations where plans are laid out beforehand and the target is destroyed in a strike target." Kurata explained. "This one is the former."

"_Attention, all servants._" Kawasaki suddenly radioed them. "_Points Kilo, Lima, and Mike has been filled with friendly elements. You may attack the filled grail. I repeat, points Kilo, Lima, and Mike had been filled with friendly elements. You may attack the filled grail now._"

Kamijou nodded to Jin, who nods and positions himself in the sight of his Remington M24 Sniper Weapon System while he, Fujima, and Kurata sprinted stealthily towards their targets. With their silencers attached, the trio moved forward as immediately, Jin had already claimed his first target. In a sudden turn of events, the nine other sentries suddenly panicked as they began cocked their firearms. Kamijou then inhaled as he pressed the trigger between his hearbeat and in an instant he sputtered something.

_Kami-sama, forgive me!_

He claimed his first kill as the man he targeted went down. Fujima then fired his rifle towards their first point of attack and in an instant, three more men were down as the five others were still alive and trying to find their targets in the blind darkness. _Good thing we had NVGs. _Kamijou sighed as he then trained his sights and shot two more men in their heads.

_Kami-sama, forgive me! _

Instinctively, Kamijou sprinted faster and before his targets can see him, the spiky haired boy had already fired three pieces of lead in a "one shot, one kill" style.

"_Enemy group alpha has now suffered more than ten casualties. Points Kilo, Lima, and Mike now engaging enemy group Bravo and Charlie at the north. Enemy MRLS neutralized. Proceed immediately to the largest house. Scouts confirmed that objective is there._" Kawasaki said.

"I'm on it." Kamijou then faces Kurata, Fujima, and Jin. "Saber, Ruskie, Archer, clear the first building and the pathway. I'll take mine."

"Oi, by yourself?" Tanaka said, quite stunned.

"I can handle myself." Kamijou said, easing their worries as they sprinted in the left. Kamijou then began to stealthily walk towards the big house as he was threading in the few mud huts. It was at this point where Othinus had emerged from the magazine pouch.

"Human, to the left!"

Immediately, Kamijou trained his rifle to his left and quickly took down a Kalashnikov-toting man with a keffiyeh. _Kami-sama, forgive me! _Kamijou mentally said as he then continued to sprint towards the big warehouse.

"Human to the left, again!"

At this point, Kamijou quickly took out his H&K USP pistol and shot a knife-wielding man between his eyes, not even looking at his target. The man's brain scattered as Kamijou latched his pistol back.

Kamijou then saw a man with an RPG launcher and when they met eyes, the man tried to lob the rocket towards him but Kamijou was able to jump just in the as the RPG rocket exploded. The man then took out a scabbard and went to where the young man was thrown but when he was five meters towards his target, Kamijou emerged as he fired his M4 carbine directly on his neck. The man almost got decapitated as Kamijou looked at the corpse with a cold sweat trickling down his face. _Kami-sama, forgive me! _

At the moment, five sentries heard the blast and went to the source of the blast. Luckily, Kamijou was much faster than how the five reacted as he immediately unloaded five bullets to the approaching men. When he looked up and down, he saw that he had cleanly hit his mark as all of them had been hit in their upper chest area.

_Kami-sama, forgive me! _

* * *

_What the hell is that explosion? _A pair of eyes were slowly opening as her sight was becoming more clearer and clearer.

The last time Fukiyose Seiri had heard a similar explosions was some hours ago and that was the time when the refugee camp where they are staying had been raided by some small group of kidnap-for-ransom terrorists. Perfectly recalling it, she was already down to her knees as everyone at that time was running at all over different directions. Then the most terrifying moment happened as she tried to escape.

An armed bandit had grabbed her from behind and in an instant, her nose and mouth was covered with a white cloth soaked in ammonia

That was just only the first chloro attack on her.

The second one was when she awoke just in time to see and hear her captors talking about selling their hostages if the ransom was not met. Her brown eyes then caught attention of one man who was saying that he intended to make one of the Japanese nurses his personal sexual slave and that was enough for her to try and overcome her bonds. However, she discovered that her hands were tied in her back and her feet were tied up as well. Her mouth was cleave-gagged with a bandana and she can only moan.

Unfortunately for her, she was heard by a man armed with an Uzi SMG and she was silenced once again with another chloro attack.

This was only her second time awakening and right now, she was hearing the tranquil silence once again after a brief explosion that she heard. But the silence didn't last.

"_Fauda!_"

"_Fauda!_"

"_Fauda!_"

"_Fauda!_"

It looks like the men and the guards who are keeping an eye on her were now panicking like some random person had entered the building where they are being kept. _What in the world is happening? _

It was at that moment when she began to hear sporadic and continuous sounds of gunfire and RPGs being fired.

Fukiyose sweated as she didn't know what it means. _Did someone came here to save us? Was it another attack by a rival terrorist group? _If it was the former, she was hoping that it was Academy City's Anti-Skill operators who had come here to save them. If it was the latter, only Kami-sama can know what can happen to them…

It was at this moment that suddenly, the man who was talking about making Japanese nurses as his slaves suddenly kicked the door open as he barged into the room. Fukiyose didn't know if she's imagining things but she saw that the man's Makarov PM pistol was belching in smoke—as if it was fired several times.

All of the sudden, the man forcefully grabbed Fukiyose up as she then struggles to escape.

"_Hmmmph!_" Fukiyose moaned as the man almost licked her with lust.

"_You're coming with me!_" The man said as he then drags the hapless Forehead Deluxe towards the door.

It was at this point that the girl didn't expect what was about to happen next.

"_Put her down!_" Suddenly, a young-looking man barged in the room while pointing a SOPMOD M4 carbine towards the head of the bandit. The young man was wearing a boonie hat and a camouflaged uniform and his equipment seemed pretty sophisticated. But most of all, his facial features and the spiky hair that was exposed beneath his hat was what stunned Fukiyose.

_**No way…**_

"_I said, out her down…_"

_**I can't be…that voice…**_

"_No way. She'll die if you pint your gun toward me!_"

"_I'll repeat, put it down or you'll regret it…_"

_**Those blue eyes…**_

"_She'll die if you point your gun towards me!_"

_**Kamijou! It's really you! **_

Kamijou said nothing as the man pointed his Makarov PM towards the head of Fukiyose, who was too struck with both shock and trauma to even speak. Suddenly, the spiky haired boy slowly lowered his carbine down as he raised his hands.

"_Kick your gun away from you!_" The terrorist ordered as instinctively, he also began to lower his Makarov pistol.

Kamijou did as he was told but the moment he did it, his left arm suddenly reached out for his Rock Island Armory M1911 .45 ACP pistol which was unlatched in his holster. The terrorist saw this and raised his Makarov PM but unfortunately, Kamijou was faster as he immediately fired the moment he brought the pistol upwards.

He had just hit the man between his eyes cold-blooded.

Immediately, the man's cold corpse fell downwards as Fukiyose was freed from his grip. Quickly sprinting towards his tied-up former classmate, Kamijou immediately ungagged and untied her and the moment she was already free from her bonds, Kamijou began to ask. "Fukiyose, are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"I…I'm fine…Ka…mi…jou…" Fukiyose was stuttering as the blue eyes she was staring at reminded her of the same blue eyes he displayed when she got attacked by an unknown magic spell during the Daihaseisai Festival in their freshmen days in high school. "You—you became a soldier?"

Kamijou looked away guiltily before he said. "There's no time for that. We must move quickly." He quickly took the hand of Fukiyose and together, they walked out towards the door and into the hallway. Along the way, they passed by a man who looked like he got poisoned by his own coffee as his face was bloated while clutching a Type 56 assault rifle in his hand. Kamijou then grabbed what looked like a "doll" from the table and he quickly put the "doll" in his magazine pouch, not that Fukiyose had the time to react on that as they both walked fast.

Suddenly, Kamijou stopped as they both heard gunfire. Fukiyose swore she heard her former classmate and secret crush curse before he suddenly pushed his SOPMOD M4 in her own bare hands. "Fukiyose, hold this gun for the moment. I'll have to plink the five of them in a cowboy-way."

"Five? What the—" Fukiyos regained her senses as she tried to chide her classmate but the second she opened her mouth, Kamijou had already fired his USP and M1911 pistols towards his targets and she was slightly amazed the he needed to only fire his two pistols only twice or even once.

_Kami-sama, forgive me!_

Kamijou then took back his own rifle and together, they ran outside of the building. By the time they had ran out of the building, Fukiyose glanced at the five men her former classmate had shot and was speechless to see that he had hit them all in their foreheads. _Kamijou, what became of you? What…_

"Fukiyose, lie down!" Kamijou suddenly shouted as he pushed down the girl.

Suddenly, five more men emerged and Kamijou managed to gun down four of them as he drags Fukiyose and they hid behind the wall, just in time to hear the sounds of a Pecheneg machine gun ripped through the mud walls.

"Kamijou…what are you…Kamijou…"

Fukiyose was about to ask something again when her eyes caught something else.

Blood.

There was blood in Kamijou's shoulder part.

"Kamijou! You got hit in the shoulder!" Fukiyose was now worried and tormented as she tried to aid the boy but to her shock, he refused it.

Kamijou was breathing heavily as he said. "Fukiyose, this is nothing. It's just piece of lead. I can still manage."

Suddenly, Kamijou used his right arm as he shot at the direction of the man who had the Pecheneg machine gun. He managed to take down the machine gunner as he shot the latter in his left eye. But due to his carelessness, he didn't realize that a man with a TT-30 Tokarev pistol emerged from the shadows.

By the time Othinus was able to warn Kamijou, the man with a keffiyeh had already shot the spiky haired boy in his chest but Kamijou was able to fight back and in turn, he shot the man in his neck, immediately killing the man.

"Kamijou!" Fukiyose, now frightened for her former classmate, ran towards the SFG operator and in an instant, the shell known as Kamijou Touma suddenly fell into her hands as it looked like he got weakened by the two gunshots he received in exchange for protecting Fukiyose Seiri.

"Fukiyose…I'm fine…" Kamijou was breathing heavily as Fukiyose can see that he was now struggling to even keep his eyes open.

"Help us! Please, help us!" She shouted as she then took out her own handkerchief and pressed it into the young man's shoulder as she was applying first aid. But while doing so, the two didn't notice another terrorist coming out of the shadows as he was pointing his AKM rifle towards the two.

However, the shot that proceeded next didn't even come from his rifle.

Kurata Rikichi, who had just come by to respond to the Fukiyose's cries for help, had moved just in time to see the AKM-toting man threatening to kill his commander and the victim. He was able to plink the man in the head before proceeding to where the two were.

"Miss! Are you fine?! You have blood on your white uniform!" Kurata came closer but he became pale the moment he saw who was wounded. "Wait—holy shit! Commander! Commander!" He then threw himself to the ground as he immediately pressed his chest wound with a bandage as Kamijou sensed his presence and said weakly.

"Ku-Kurata…" Kamijou said. "I'm fine…"

"Idiot, you're not fine!" Kurata yells as Fukiyose blinked at him. "Saber, Archer, Bullpup, Styx!" He began to call in the radio once Fukiyose was able to temporarily stop the bleeding with his kit. "I needed a hand! Lancer got wounded! Heavily wounded!"

In a matter of minutes, Fujima and the others rushed to the scene and began to carry their limp comrade and team leader in a stretcher as Tanaka decided to hold Kamijou's rifle for him. As they walked out of the scene with the rest of the hostages, Fukiyose found herself crying softly as she quietly followed the SFG out of the place.

"Miss. Don't worry. You're safe now." Kurata comforted her.

"Idiot. That guy who got shot was my former classmate in high school!" Fukiyose yelled at the SFG operator, who was slightly stunned to hear it himself. "How can I not be worried?! He was shot critically in exchange for protecting me!"

Kurata can only sigh as Fukiyose unashamedly continued to cry softly.

"You seemed to not know your classmate that well, then." Kurata spoke softly. "Don't worry about him. We've been classmates for nearly four years at the NDA. He'll survive this one."

Kurata then let Fukiyose be beside their unconscious leader in the armored ambulance that they called as they began the long journey back towards Kiryat Shmona.

* * *

Yomikawa Aiho was sighing as she checks upon her men, who were all asleep in their cargo plane.

They were all destined for the Middle East as they received reports that some of Academy City's nurses got kidnapped.

"It's my first time to be deployed in such mission, huh?"

She then checks her SIG SG 552 Commando rifles. "I hope this doesn't really turn into a bloodbath."

* * *

**Author's Notes: I know some of you are wondering as to why this fic "got updated" all of the sudden when it didn't have the Chapter 11. The reason is due to my carelessness, I accidentally uploaded a chapter that was supposed to be in my other fic "Seventh Prodigy" to this fic. So I apologize for the inconvenience that I caused. **


	12. A Duel of all Ages

_Replies for reviews_

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* * *

"Sir, you're out of danger now."

It was already six in the morning (Israeli time) and currently all fifteen members of the SFG are surrounding the bed of their recuperating leader, who is rather smiling giddily at the thought that he was experienced in getting hospitalized that it freaked out Kawasaki, who thought that their team leader is already getting insane or acquiring PTSD. But they were not the only ones who are currently present on the hospital bedroom.

"Good grief, your recovery period is rather insane." Fujima commented as he clutched his M$ carbine. All of the SFG members are wearing their complete battle gear although they were wearing olive green t-shirts instead of the usual Type III camouflage. "But we're still glad that you turned out alive."

"I don't think he would die with those two measly bullets." Kurata added. "His stamina is already freakin' abnormal even in our days at the NDA."

"Not that I'm interfering but what happened that almost cost him his life?" Doctor Himuro, who is the one attending to the bedridden Kamijou, inquired.

"Well doc…he singlehandedly took on thirty armed men in Rambo style manner." Tanaka replied as he sighed. "To be honest, we all freaked out for the moment when he said he'll take them alone. But I guess we can't argue with his marksmanship skills. He's not the best shooter and gunslinger in our team for nothing. Heck, he can even give Carlos Hathcock and Chuck Mawhinney a run for their money."

Doctor Himuro was amused to hear the story.

"Uhm…who are those two?" Leading Private Takato Yoshinori, the team's operator of their Howa Type 96 automatic grenade launcher, asked in a confused manner.

"Two of the US Marine Corps' best snipers of the Vietnam War."

"But still…" Now, Fukiyose was the one attending as a nurse and assistant to Himuro, was still in shock and amazement at the sharpshooting that her former classmate displayed in the two-hour gunfight in the Bastra compound. "Are you stupid, Kamijou? You could have at least taken with you a companion…"

Kamijou simply blinked at her before replying with a small smile. "Uhm? Are you really that worried for me?"

Hearing the young man's response, Fukiyose almost dropped the thermometer from her hand as she can feel the heat rising in her face. "B-Baka, stop saying things so casually!"

"Hah? I'm just using true words, Fukiyose." Kamijou replied calmly. "Besides, I won't abandon you, even at the cost of my life."

Those words alone was the finishing blow as Fukiyose's heart began to pound wildly. _Ka-Kamijou, stop it! _

"My, my. Now the Kami-yan Disease had evolved." Tsuchimikado, who is just in the rear, commented as he smirked. "Not only does it attracts women and lolis, Kami-yan had become a sharpshooter in capturing their hearts, nya."

"Can you stop with the annoying reference, Tsuchimikado?" Kamijou loudly complained even as he was given some medicine by Fukiyose.

But as Doctor Himuro was now checking the vital signs of Kamijou, Himegami suddenly entered with what it seemed to be a tray of cut mangoes and watermelons. She then cuts between the mass of soldiers before reaching Kamijou. Shyly, she then offers the tray before saying in a soft voice. "Kamijou-kun, how is your wound?"

"I'm fine, Himegami. Don't bother yourself." Kamijou replied as he can't wait to already get out of the bed.

"Kamijou-kun, this is good for the blood. Eat this." Himegami offered the fruits as all the soldiers present watch in disbelief. _Good god, our gunslinging-leader is also a playboy. _The fifteen men all sighed as they watch the interaction of the two.

Suddenly, Kawasaki's phone rang aloud and when she took it out, it was actually a message so she had to read it. After a while, she was a bit surprised to see the text so she then announced. "Team leader, Colonel Hinata had texted us."

Kamijou paled the moment he heard the name of the whole SFG's commander so he gestured the nurses and Doctor Himuro to leave for the moment. When all that was left was the SFG operators, Kawasaki then began to read the message, "Congratulations, all SFG operators! Second Lieutenant Kamijou, next time, don't go and engage enemy forces by yourself, if possible."

"You hear it from the chief himself." Fujima sighed as he then cocks the safety mode of his gun. "Don't go Rambo-style next time."

"Huh…let's just see…" Kamijou replied in a stubborn way as Kurata sighs.

"Oh…he sent another text message." Kawasaki reads the message. "Stand by. Japanese parts being smuggled into Middle East. Found in shot-down MiGs."

The news somehow startled the SFG. Being a Pacifist country, Japan's constitution still placed a strict ban on selling military products outside of their country despite the change of their role which allowed the SFG and basically, the whole JSDF, to operate outside their own soil. If it's just cars, it would have been slightly understandable but arms being smuggled outside?

"Well…this is a serious matter…" Fujima replied seriously. "So once he gets out of the hospital, then we'll really deal with this matter. But honestly, are we really here for peacekeeping?"

"Officially, we're here to fulfill Japan's mandate to the United Nations." Kamijou said as he then stands up from his bed. "Covertly, we had another mission. That's to safeguard Japanese citizens in this place and to protect her everything that holds dear to our nation. Well, we'll talk about this when I get out in a few minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, you may all go back to your posts. I'll be following."

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Tanaka asked.

"Doctor Himuro said that I can be discharged any moment of this day if I feel so. Besides…" Kamijou then tapped the rifle of Tanaka. "The feeling of lying in the hospital bed had already seeped into my bones a lot of times."

The fifteen SFG operators didn't get what he meant by the last line although they left his presence. After a while, Kamijou then saw Othinus emerging from behind a small statue placed in a desk near the bed. "Othinus, thanks for your help last night." Kamijou smiled.

"You better be, human." The former Magic God huffed. "Do you know how much I had to suffer in that ammunition pouch of yours?"

"Sorry. I had no other way to keep you hidden without freaking out my batch mates. The ammunition holder is the only free item where I can hide you." Kamijou explains. "Besides, you're at least the size of a STANAG magazine."

Othinus was a bit annoyed at the last sentence.

But even before the Magic God can say something else, the door suddenly opened and Othinus had to scramble back as all of the sudden, Kurata was seen entering back to the hospital bedroom. "Hey, Kamijou. We're going for some exercise. Want us to wait for you in the hallway?"

"Eh? But I would only be pulling you all down." Kamijou grimaced.

"Doesn't matter. You're the team leader. As they say, no man left behind." Kurasat winked as he then said. "We'll be using iron sights, okay?"

Kamijou only nodded as his young man with the razor-cut hair left and shut the door.

* * *

"Eh?"

This was the reaction of Fukiyose the moment she saw the familiar blue logo of Anti-Skill etched in the blue armored trucks that is entering their compound.

The moment the trucks had halted, the Anti-Skill guys in their special SWAT armor, riot shields, robots, and their firearms began to pour out as they began to secure the place. The Anti-Skill personnel were all securing the entrance and exit points of the whole place where the medical staff from Academy City is staying. As the whole medical staff was a bit surprised to see their city's armed authorities suddenly come all the way from Japan to this place, Yomikawa Aiho was business as usual as she began to ask around.

"Don't worry, we're already here so your security is guaranteed." Yomikawa assured the shell-shocked students, who were staring at her and his men, who are preparing their Powered Suits. "We've received enough information to recover Fukiyose Seiri and the others so—"

"Anou…Yomikawa-sensei…" Fukiyose Seiri just recovered in time from her bemusement to formally announce her presence in front of her former Physical Education teacher. "I'm already safe."

"Eh?!" As expected, Yomikawa was very much surprised to see the appearance of the student that they were looking forward to recover. Looking at her from toe to her head, the Anti-Skill lieutenant blinked as she saw that her former student was in good health and it looked like she had no single bruise in her body, although she looked a bit pale. "Fukiyose?! Eh, I thought you got captured…"

"She did get abducted by bad guys. It's just that someone had already come to her rescue earlier." Tsuchimikado clarified it for the Iron Wall Girl. "And in that case, it's someone you and even we didn't expect to see."

"You're not making sense, Tsuchimikado." Yomikawa raised her eyebrows. "Who are you referring to?"

"He's referring to Kamijou-kun." Himegami softly added.

There was an unbearable silence for a few seconds as Yomikawa blinked and blinked while Tsuchimikado and Aogami is smiling like a loon and Fukiyose had an unreadable expression.

"Can you repeat that again, Tsuchimikado?" Yomikawa demanded as on the background, all Anti-Skill personnel were currently talking with their counterparts in the regular JSDF blue helmets. "You're not really making sense at all. What does Kamijou had to do with this one?"

"It's unbelievable, right?!" Now, Tsuchimikado was laughing as he explains. "Not about him being a superhero for girls and lolis but someone like him can actually carry a gun, let alone kill someone lethally."

"Can't you get it, sensei?!" Aogami was a bit exaggerating on his storytelling. "Kami-yan grew from becoming a playboy to a tough soldier."

Now, this caused Yomikawa to actually do a double take as she was listening to the stories of Tsuchimikado. _So Kamijou didn't take up nursing and instead, chose a path similar to some of my men who were recruited by Academy City? _She didn't know if it was a wasted opportunity or not as she herself had a handful of students who chose to become soldiers and ending up in the Anti-Skill organization. But to hear a student joining a military force that wasn't as popular in Academy City as her organization is a rarity, if anything. In some cases, she was wondering why he didn't take up nursing. _It's quite a popular course for the past few years because of the large demand for more nurses in hospitals as well as caretakers for elderly people. Kamijou should have been perfect there. _

Suddenly, Tessou Tsuzuri, her partner and a teacher of five years in a school back in Academy City, was tapping her shoulders. It seemed that she wanted to say something to her superior but she was too timid to say it so she decided to tap her instead.

"Huh? Tessou, what do you want?" The tall woman recovered from her initial shock to face the megane.

"Anou…Yomikawa-sensei…do you want to practice in the nearby target range after we put up the security here?" Tessou asked in a shy manner. "They were planning to go for some practice to settle down in this new environment."

"A practice shooting…why would I say no to that?" Yomikawa smiled as she felt like she was at home. "Very well, I'll gather our men and we'll unload some lead!"

After the initial briefing and the settling down which involved arranging their things in their respective quarters, they all dressed in their blue vests as they picked up their SIG SG 552 rifles and they went on their way to have some practice shooting. As they were walking to the target range, Yomikawa was in her own world as she had a lot of things in her mind. _If it's true that Kamijou has become a soldier, then is he sent here as a peacekeeper as well? It must be the only logical answer but how come he was able to save Fukiyose and the other hostages in time is that's the case? Unless…_

She didn't realize how convenient it is for her to find the questions as they enter the area of the target range. The moment they all entered, they were hearing sound of gunfire and the smell of powder and burning lead which means that there are people in this place already. Scanning the area, Yomikawa saw that there were at least more than ten people, almost all of them men, already at the firing range. They were all wearing camouflage pants that reminds her of the JSDF's Western Army Infantry regiment while they're wearing plain olive green t-shirts although they had tactical chest rigs and tactical gloves.

Getting impatient, Yomikawa then chances upon a guy who just happened to be reloading his gun and was about to ask when suddenly, she stopped and stared at the young man. _The hell…spiky hair and that facial features…don't tell me…_

Before she can even complete her thoughts, the young man raised up his head and by some stupid miracle, his dark blue orbs locked into Yomikawa's and instantly, he froze in his spot. The young man even gaped as he didn't mind the stares that he was receiving from his fellows, who are looking at him curiously.

"Eh? Yomikawa-sensei?"

* * *

"Beef or fish! Beef or fish!"

"God have pity on me! Can she just shut her mouth for once?!"

Even with the use of earmuffs, Misaka realized that it wasn't even enough to keep out the high-pitched sound waves coming specifically from the mouth of Index, who was complaining about food early on. It's just an hour since their plane had taken off but they weren't even near West Asia when Index started to complain about being hungry and it has been sapping out whatever patience is left from the Railgun.

"I just fed you with five bowls of fried rice and chicken!" Misaka roared as she faces Index. "Why are you asking food this early!"

"Short Hair, what you bought for me isn't enough!" Index complained as she was throwing tantrums in her chair. "Where is the airplane food!"

"The flight attendant will bring it sooner so just shut up and behave." Misaka sighed as Index sulked a little. As the times went on, the Level Five Electromaster was beginning to think on how they'll find that 'idiot' in Galilee. Sure, Israel isn't as large as Japan in terms of territory but still, it's still a larger state than Academy City and from what she heard, conflict there is still present, especially between the settling European Jews and the Palestinian Arabs or sometimes, even the Arabic or Mizrahi Jews who are subject to discrimination in the hands of the far more advanced Askenazi Jews.

She sighed. "As long as that Shokuhou is still clueless and that idiot isn't involved in any way, then I guess I don't really care about what is happening currently in Israel." She said to herself as she prepared to go to sleep while using an eye mask.

Somewhere in the Galilee region at Nazareth, a blonde, starry-eyed girl sneezed as a chill ran to her spine while she was lying in her bed at a hotel where she is currently staying in.

* * *

Yomikawa, Tessou, and Itou were facing Kamijou, Kurata, and Fujima on a nearby table as the rest of the Special Forces Group were packing up as it was the turn of Anti-Skill to use the firing range. From an outsider's viewpoint, it seemed that the guys in blue vests were slightly having the upper hand in terms of equipment as they were seen using security bots around the area although this didn't make the sixteen-man SFG a bit intimidated. In fact, Fujima is only getting irritated as he began to hear whispers among some of the Anti-Skill personnel about their presence.

"Kamijou, can I see your gun?" That was the first thing that Yomikawa said to break the silence hovering above them. Kamijou simply nodded as he handed his SOPMOD M4 carbine to his former Physical Education teacher, who simply scans it. After that, she handed it back and commented, "For someone who joined an organization outside of Academy City, you had some decent equipment to use."

"Excuse me but what do you mean decent?" Kurata butted in, clearly not liking the choice of words that the Anti-Skill lieutenant used.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Forgive me for the ignorance." Yomikawa picked up Kurata's subtle message and faced her former student, who was simply staring at her. "By the way, where did you take your college studies, Kamijou?"

"Eh? I entered the National Defense Academy of Japan in Kanagawa." Kamijou replied. "I'm somehow aware that every one of my classmates took nursing but for this poor Kamijou-san, it seemed that his rotten luck would only prevent him from taking a similar course so I decided to walk an unthreaded path and so, I ended up in the NDA and these two are my batchmates. The guy to my left is Kurata Rikichi and this one to my right is Fujima Nobunaga. Somehow, we're lucky even end up serving in the JSDF's elite Special Forces Group."

"In your case, it wasn't luck but plain skill and marksmanship." Fujima felt compelled to add.

"Yeha but have you forgotten yesterday? I almost got killed if you didn't arrive just in time, Kurata." Kamijou sighed. "That's the biggest misfortune I had yesterday."

"Taking down thirty men on your own isn't misfortune. It's guts." Fujima shrugged as he patted his buddy in his back. "And on top of that, you got out of the hospital just fine."

Hearing their stories, Yomikawa was amazed to hear the taste of action that her former student had been baptized into. "You know, Kamijou…you have slightly changed…"

"Eh? What do you mean, Yomikawa-sensei?"

"It's just like…you're more confident of yourself. Back in high school, you're always the trouble maker." Yomikawa smiled as she reminisced. "In fact, you're always in the mind of your Komoe-sensei whenever we go out for drinks. You've been always involved in street fights, always getting sent in the hospital, and most of all, you're ditching classes."

"Yomikawa-sensei…" Kamijou pleaded as he didn't want to remember those embarrassing high school days and also, he didn't like the idea of it being heard by his current colleagues.

"So a street delinquent turning into a batch valedictorian?" Fujima sounded impressed as he nodded in approval. "Well, that means you've been living life to the fulfilment. At least, you got to experience a lot of things."

"Not to mention that his street fighting and hospital visits explain why he had an abnormal stamina and had a knack for fighting." Kurata put his right hand in his chin as he tried to visualize it.

_Oi, you two are talking like I'm not here. _

"Well, Komoe would be glad to see you alive and well although it does looks weird that you're holding a gun in your hand." Yomikawa commented as he pointed at the SOPMOD M4 carbine in the table. "Didn't you once join a protest against the amendment of the JSDF?"

Now, this one earned the young spiky haired man looks as the two stared at him with bewilderment.

"Well…" Kamijou scratched his head as he wanted to clear up what seemed to be a misunderstanding. "If I remember right, we're practically _forced _to join the protests. It's not like I wanted to but I had to do it for the sake for passing my grades and Misaka-san forced me to it as well."

"Sounds like you. What a rascal youth." Yomikawa sighed as he then scans the two SFG members sandwiching her former student. "Besides, it does seem that you were able to find good friends. These two doesn't seem to be like Tsuchimikado and Aogami."

"Far from it." Kamijou sighed as he looked at Kurata, who just smiles back at him. "Although Kurata had some tendencies similar to Tsuchimikado, this guy's a far, far big improvement over that blonde. Somehow, they made my life easier in the NDA when things are getting rough."

"Yeah right. You even took down three Commanding Officers at that time." Fujima reminded him of their first year in the NDA.

"Oi, stop bringing up embarrassing moments!"

"Well…I'm going to practice for now, Kamijou." Yomikawa proudly brandished her own rifle. "I'd like maintain my Chris Kyle-like skill."

Fujima only shook his head as Kurata smirked and said. "Yo, why do we need Chris Kyle when we had our own version of Simo Hayha here?" He pointed towards Kamijou, who was startled at what his batch mate just said. "Oi, you're exaggerating things here!"

However, a wide grin carved into the face of Yomikawa, who seemed to get fired up in her eyes. Immediately, she said in a commanding voice. "Tessou Tsuzuri!"

Immediately, the girl perked up. "Yes?!"

"Tell everyone that we'll have a duel with my former student so I want the firing range vacated for the moment!" To Kamijou's shock, his former teacher just ordered her subordinate to clear the area so that a duel which he didn't even asked for can proceed smoothly.

"Hey, I don't even get a say on this…" Kamijou tried to protest but he was beaten by Kurata, who said. "You took down thirty men, Kamijou Touma! Our team leader won't surely disappoint us in this duel!"

Kamijou can only sigh as he knew there is no turning back on this. _Such misfortune._

* * *

The word about the upcoming duel between Kamijou Touma and Yomikawa Aiho spread like wildfire in the place where the former's former classmates are staying and instantly, they all went to the area where they will have the match.

The moment Fukiyose, Himegami, Tsuchimikado, and Aogami reached the place where the duel will be held, they were met with an already large crowd of Japanese nurses who were crowding the place. Fighting and pushing their through the crowd, they saw in the middle the two individuals who are about to duel each other. Yomikawa removed her suit that revealed her shiny black tank top while Kamijou was still the same, except for the fact that he removed all the accessories of his carbine which resulted in him holding a basic Colt M4A1 with the basic iron sights and carrying handle.

On Yomikawa's side is the Anti-Skill team who are cheering for their chief while the SFG operators are rooting obviously for their team leader.

"Eh? What lead to this?" Fukiyose was blinking as she watched Kamijou cocking his carbine while Yomikawa was prepared to shoot the first target.

"I don't know but this would be an interesting fight, nya!" Tsuchimikado was enjoying the show before him.

As the crowd watched, Yomikawa was the first to go as she fired ten rounds into a dummy target. "Nya, she really is a hotshot when it comes to this stuff." He commented as the Anti-Skill lieutenant had hit her targets cleanly. After the first round, she puts her gun down as she grins while the whole Anti-Skill clapped. "That's our commander!" They cheered as they scan the target. So far, she had one in the target circle while there are nine other round a few centimeters from the target circle—this means that she had one head shot and nine other body shots.

Yomikawa sent a challenging stare to Kamijou, who didn't seem to notice it as he prepares to fire his gun. "Nya! Here comes the playboy!" Aogami cheered as Kamijou inhales deeply. All of the sudden, he raises up his gun as he switched to fully automatic. Immediately, he unloaded his M4 and pulled his trigger. The rest had to cover their ears as the sound of the Colt seemed to be louder than the sound of the SIG although this can be because Kamijou chose the full-automatic. After ten seconds, he put down his gun and as the smoke cleared, everyone was silenced at the results that the young man showed.

"Eh?! All of them are in the target circle…"

"No way…"

"Th-That's unbelievable accuracy in automatic mode…"

Fukiyose's eyes widened like saucers as she checks the dummy target. All of them are almost in the target center—which means that in real life, it would have been nine headshots and one penetration to the heart.

Yomikawa was stunned for the moment but she didn't show it. _Okay, I won't let this former student of mine beat me! _

In less than ten minutes, the area has been cleared and a next set of challenge is set. A row of round fruits that they sourced from the kitchen where placed as targets in the long table. Yomikawa decided to go first as she fired her SIG assault rifle from her shoulder. She cleanly hit all of her target.

"That's Yomikawa-sensei for you." Himegami blandly said. "Now, I wanted to see how Kamijou-kun will respond."

After Yomikawa cleared the area, it was Kamijou's turn. To her surprise, it seemed that he'll not use an assault rifle but rather a weapon one didn't expect for him to use—a Mossberg 500 combat shotgun.

"He's in god-mode…" Kurata muttered as Kamijou was busy loading his shotgun with 12 gauge shotshells. After that, he placed the Mossberg into his hip and from there, he started firing as he pumps the shotgun one shot after another. The fact that he's firing it from the hip is already amazing enough but to hit all his targets by using a shotgun definitely caught the attention of all Anti-Skill officers, who were all shell-shocked that their lieutenant was being bested by a young man who just graduated some months back.

"Shit…" Yomikawa can only cuss quietly as Kamijou blasts his final target—a watermelon. "But I can make it up in the next challenge..."

After the second round which is declared a tie, tin cans were tied in a long rack as Yomikawa decided to switch from her SIG to her Government Model M1911 as she began to plink all of her targets. She was able to hit them, frankly. "She never loses her skill." Itou muttered as Yomikawa blew the smoke off the barrel of her pistol.

But what Kamijou will no next would definitely stun Tsuchimikado.

Drawing his own M1911 pistol, Kamijou then unlatched the magazine to show that he had no bullets left. Curiously, all of the .45 ACP cartridges were laid in front of him as he shows the magazine to everyone. Suddenly, he threw his pistol in the air backwards and as he let go of the weapon, Kamijou immediately started reloading the magazine with the cartridges in front of him. A waves of "Woah!" were heard as the pistol began to descend downwards and as Kamijou caught it back, he was able to refill his magazine and quickly inserted back the magazine.

But that wasn't the best part, yet.

"Eh?!" Tsuchimikado was stunned to see his best friend holding the pistol upside down. "Don't tell me…" His thoughts went incomplete as Kamijou began to fire his pistol while holding it in a reverse position, which means he used his two pinkies to pull the trigger. He plinked all of his targets cleanly and in a faster way than Yomikawa anticipated.

"Hooyah!" The SFG operator simultaneously cheered as the Anti-Skill operators were lost for words. _Did her just shoot his gun…in a reverse manner?_

"Not even I can do that…" Tsuchimikado whispered to himself as Yomikawa was seen seething and murmuring to herself. _Goddamit, Kamijou. I can't accept being beaten by a former student of mine! _

Finally, the last challenge was drawn and right now, the two were preparing their guns as their target was…

"Nya!" Tsuchimikado cried in protest as he was standing in a step ladder while a tin can is placed on top of his head. "Why are you doing this to me, sensei!"

"Don't worry. I'll handle this cleanly." Yomikawa smirked as her inner competitive self was channelled. Drawing her gun quickly, she immediately fired without even looking properly and in a second, the tin can got knocked off Tsuchimikado's head without even grazing the blonde.

Smiling triumphantly, Yomikawa went back to the sidelines as the Anti-Skill celebrated. They were all waiting for Kamijou, who was surprisingly calm for some reason and if one even observed him, he was actually shaking his head at what Yomikawa did. This time, it was Aogami whom they forced to be the target as he puts the tin can in his head.

But as he loaded his firearm, he suddenly called out to Fukiyose, who was taken aback by it. "Fukiyose, you had your watch. Do me a favor for once. As I hit the tin can, please count the seconds before it goes down to the pavement." The Forehead Deluxe was confused but she complied nonetheless.

Kamijou then drew his gun and immediately, he hit his target cleanly but he wasn't finished there. Immediately after the tin can was airborne immediately, he fired his gun again and he hit the airborne-can.

"Kami-sama…" Everyone was silenced by this as Kamijou fired ten more rounds on the tin can, which hasn't even had the chance to land on the pavement. It was only when the spiky haired young man stopped pulling the trigger that the tin can finally landed in the pavement.

Silence then descended among everyone as Kamijou calmly keeps the gun in his tuck. "Phew, I thought my bad luck will hit me there." Kamijou heaved a sigh as he then faces Fukiyose. "How many seconds?"

"Twe-Twenty seconds…" Fukiyose didn't know if her eyes were just playing her while the mouths of Yomikawa and Tessou dropped in the floor hilariously. _I don't believe it…_

"Just one of his ten trick shots in using that pistol." Fujima smiled as everyone in their SFG group was shouting "Hooyah!" while the Anti-Skill members sulked and watch in daze. "That's why even I wouldn't want to challenge him in a game of shooting."

As Kamijou passed by Yomikawa, the latter simply gulped as she said. "As much as how bitter it feels, you bested me…"

"Eh…thanks I guess…"

"By the way, it seemed like you had a natural talent for gun slinging." Yomikawa said.

"I learned it from the NDA…"

_Seems like I needed to have a crash course in their university. _Yomikawa thought as bitterly, she let the young man who was once her student has his glory for the day.


	13. Special Chapter: You Reach, I Teach

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* * *

**Special Chapter: You Reach, I Teach**

**Synopsis: This special chapter happened during the months before Kamijou Touma graduates from the NDA. Here, we will find out as to how the young man became the ultimate gunslinger that Fukiyose and Yomikawa witnessed from him.**

**Author's Notes: I'm posting a special chapter for now because of the lone time I got laid off from this fic and because I'm not yet particularly sure on how to proceed. **

The National Defense Academy of Japan, being the premiere university for students seeking a military career, is one of the top universities in the whole nation of Japan and, being a military academy, one of the best institutes when it comes to filling up the armed service with quality soldiers, probably only bested by the US West Point, the General Staff Academy in Russia, and RAF College Cranwell in United Kingdom. Through the NDA, the Japan Self Defense Forces manage to fill up its ranks, especially in its ground force branch although there are also boot camps where a fresh college graduate can sign up and train up to seven months.

In sharp contrast to Anti-Skill, the NDA places more emphasis on wide-scale warfare such as the use of artillery, missile systems, and armored vehicles such as main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personal carriers. Add to that is training use of unorthodox and unconventional tactics that is suited in defending the rugged terrain and isolated location of the mainland archipelago. One of those sectors where the NDA heavily trains its students is sniping from afar and thus, this has become a problem for a certain spiky haired student.

"Geez, how am I supposed to do it?"

Kamijou Touma sighed in exasperation as he was sitting in a local coffee shop outside of the campus with his two friends in Kurata Rikichi and Fujima Nobunaga, who can only sympathize with him. In just a month, there would be a university-wide competition in sniping and arms handling as a part of the two month-long Social Festival and to his misfortune, the spiky haired boy from Academy City was chosen as a representative after the original representative in their class got entangled in a car accident.

"We three just came from the SFG training. Obviously, your class president would be expecting much from you." Fujima sighed as he sips coffee while obviously enjoying their rare break from their studies. "Besides, you're more than good enough. You scored pretty much high from the placement tests."

"I know that Fujima but this competition is very much different. It looks like you'll be pretty much shooting from other angles, not just straight." Kamijou complained. "Besides, it's just some months before we graduate."

"Then just think of it as a way to going out of this place with a large bang." Kurata gave the boy a pat. "You won't bring us down, right?"

"Well, that's the problem." Kamijou threw up his hands in despair. "I don't want to join the competition for the reason that I may bring you all down with my misfortune. And I can only shoot straight in a conventional manner. If I am going to win this, I at least need someone to teach me."

The two young men can only pity their friend as they continued to sip their bitter drink. As time passes, Kurata suddenly noticed Fujima looking so far away like he had something in mind. He wouldn't mind it at first but as it was gradually looking like he was being drawn by something else, he decided to ask.

"Hey, is something wrong?" The man with the crew cut hair tapped Fujima slightly. The latter responded by shaking his head. "No. It's just that there is that one old man who usually passes here often. If I don't know any better, I would have just passed him off as nothing but an ordinary passer-by but apparently, that old man is a World War II veteran, according to hearsay."

"Veteran? You mean he could have served in the Imperial Japanese Army?" Kamijou asked as he rose up his head.

"Not only did he serve; he was also a member of the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces." Fujima explained as he brought up a famous Imperial Japanese naval unit feared for their fierceness and unorthodox tactics during World War II. "I think the old man's name was Kikuchi Kouji…"

The closest Japanese equivalent of the US Marines during World War II, the Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF) were the marine troops of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and were a part of the IJN Land Forces. They saw extensive service in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific theatre of World War II. Known for their toughness, ruthlessness and reckless courage, the SNLF had especially made built their fearsome reputation in the battle Tarawa, and, to some lesser extent, Okinawa.

"Kikuchi Kouji-san?!" Kurata blurted out as if he had heard a famed celebrity. "You mean the famous "Yellow Death?!"

"Ah, yes, that one." Fujima finally remembered it as he confirmed what he heard.

"I don't follow." Kamijou honestly replied as in his normal days, he's more concerned in how to feed a certain former Magic God rather than to listen to a gossip around their university.

"He's that old guy who was a known for his sniping abilities and ability to handle different kinds of firearms." Fujima began to explain. "It's like his the analogy to Finland's Simo Hayha a.k.a the White Death. According to what we heard, he was just around fifteen to sixteen years old when he was conscripted to the Imperial Japanese Army in around late 1943. Because of his skills and stunningly natural gunhandling abilities, he was transferred to the Naval Landing Forces where he served as their sniper. Some sources indicates that he killed about 200 to 250 US Marines in the Battle of Okinawa via an Arisaka rifle and he added another 100 in his kill tally via a submachine gun."

"And since the Battle of Okinawa was lost, then it would have been more ideal for him to commit seppuku, considering the circumstances at that time." Kamijou offered.

Kurata shook his head as he added the story. "In contrast to popular belief, thousands of Japanese soldiers actually surrendered in Okinawa after the battle was lost. Being one of those who decided to raise the white flag, Kikuchi-san was briefly interred and after the war in the Padific had officially ended, he was secretly let free by the US officials because they recognized him as a skilled sniper and a good man who could actually become an asset in forming the precursor of the JSDF, the National Safety Force. In doing so, he became one of the very few former IJA soldiers who quietly transitioned to the Japan Self Defense Forces. There were actually a few here in the NDA who had met him personally and they say he was actually a nice person although he does prefer a quiet and isolated life far from the media, which is why I'm not surprised why he isn't as much recognized here in the mainstream community outside the NDA."

"Some cadets met him, huh?" Kamijou suddenly played with a thought that he didn't expect it would form in his mind. "You know, where can I meet this guy?"

Fujima correctly guessed the reason as to why Kamijou wants to meet the old man. "You want to train under him, Kamijou? Well, I don't know if Kikuchi-san does that but if you think it would help you cram up for the competition, then I think it won't be bad if you try."

* * *

True to Fujima's words, Kamijou did end up suddenly going to Kikuchi Kouji's ancestral home.

After his studies one Friday afternoon, the spiky haired boy begged off from joining his friends in their hangout place as he decided to go the place where Fujima said that Kikuchi lives. It was a twenty-minute walk from their military academy and by the time he had reached the ancestral house, he was already slightly sweating from the supposed peaceful walk, which was disrupted by him almost slipping in the road due to accidentally stepping on the puddle, almost had his phone snatched if it wasn't for his reflexes, anda German Sheperd suddenly chased him in the streets.

_Such misfortune._

Right now, Kamijou was standing in the gates of the ancestral house. A Sukiya-zukuri by design, it is a typical Japanese house with unsquared columns, simple polished tree trunks, or wood with the bark in place for the nakabashira central column. The walls are simply finished with a natural earthen plaster, and any carving in the ranma transom is kept simple. The ceiling of boards is railed with flat, rectangular boards. Although there is a tokonoma alcove and tana shelves and maybe also shoin in the main room, their arrangement and treatment are free. The beauty of sukiya-zukuri comes from the delicate sensibility of the slender wood elements and other natural materials used, and the simplicity of ornamentation, if there is any.

Not that it concerned the boy at the slightest.

"Now that I'm here, what will I say?" Kamijou realized that he didn't even take into consideration about what he will say if he ever meets the old war hero. He does have three things to consider, 1) Good morning, sir. I'm from the JSDF and I hope we can be friends, 2) Good morning sir, can we have some cup of tea and, 3) Can you teach me how to shoot?

He sighed as he doubts if he would even be entertained with such lame sentences.

"Kami-sama, can the old man even take me seriously even if I'm from NDA…"

"NDA, you say, hohoho…"

"Yeah—buwaaahh!"

Kamijou nearly had a heart attack the moment he heard that raspy yet chuckling voice. Turning his head around, he was astounded to see an feeble-looking man whose height doesn't even reach five feet and four inch. But with how he composes himself and the liveliness he shows, it looks like age is just a number for him.

"So young man, what are you doing here?"

* * *

For someone who is in his mid-eighties, Kikuchi Kouji doesn't look like the typical elderly guy who would either sit at home, bedridden with illness, or simply rocking the swinging chair. In fact, he's far from those stereotypes. As he and Kamijou Touma were walking into the courtyard of his home, Kikuchi looked like he was back into his youth again as he chatted and laughed with the spiky haired boy, who was glad that somehow, it didn't end up in an awkward meeting.

"It's been a year since a cadet from the NDA had inquired for me and if memory serves me right, there sought me out for an interview." The veteran recalled as his kimono and the traditional Geta footwear brought a sharp contrast to Kamijou's leather combat boots, camouflage pants, a dark green t-shirt, and his M1911 pistol. "Are you here for the same thing, Kamijou-san?"

"Ah, not really, Kikuchi-sama…" Kamijou scratched his head. "It's just that…I heard about your skilfulness in handling a rifle and I would like to learn a thing or two from you. But if I'm bothering you, then you don't—"

"Hohoho." Kikuchi's Santa Claus-like laugh cut the boy off as the attention of the old man was tuned into the boy the moment the latter brought up about his problem. "That's it? Then I can share you my wisdom in just a week, young lad. Come inside, then…"

If the boy didn't know any further, he would have suspected that this old man is a comedian rather than a war veteran who once staved off invading US Marines in the bloody Okinawa Campaign.

Quickly brushing off those thoughts, Kamijou followed the old man and as they enter the humble living room, the spiky haired young man quickly noticed the framed pictures of what looked like his teenage self in the horrible years of the war. _Wow, he's actually muscular on these one. _Kamijou particularly took note of one of the photos where Kikuchi was wearing a standard Imperial Japanese Navy Land Forces uniform, a helmet with elaborate set of straps that looked like it descended from those of the Kabuto samurai helmet, and a _Tenugui _(a multi purpose cloth or towel in the Japanese culture, usually made of white cloth, printed with an anchor or patriotic phrases often accompanied by patriotic symbols as well.) He was seen clutching a Type 99 Arisaka rifle—the most common rifle of the Imperial Japanese Army and navy in those days.

"Gone are the days where we hunt Americans for breakfast…" Suddenly, he heard Kikuchi said in a sing-song manner. "Young man, you seemed very captivated at that picture of mine."

"It's just—uh—I'm surprised that you didn't end up receiving a reprisal from the post-world war community." Kamijou confessed honestly.

It seemed that Kikuchi understood what the young man meant. "Not everyone but I'd rather not talk about it in public." His cheerful demeanor was replaced with a grim and serious voice which the boy detected and decided not to press further. Instead, Kamijou look at the rifle that the old man was clutching. Immediately, his eyes went saucers as he recognized what it is.

"Eh? Kikuchi-san, isn't that a Type 22 Murata?!" Kamijou gasped as he saw the very weapon that was the subject of their history class since it was said that they were the ancestor of the Arisaka rifle and to make it interesting, it was the very first indigenously produced Japanese service rifle adopted in 1880 in the Meiji period.

The old man looked impressed. "I never thought there were some millennial kids who knew of this weapon which preceded the Arisaka. Well, let's shoot some rounds, kid."

"Huh?"

* * *

On the boy's entire surprise, he was asked by the old man to arrange the targets that they will use in the large courtyard.

Not that he minded though as he arranged the sets of large, round fruits in a long table while the old man cleaned the dusty but still serviceable Murata bolt action rifle. How Kikuchi was able to maintain that under scrutiny is still a mystery to Kamijou Touma. Normally, any Japanese veteran would have at least surrendered their weaponry either to the Americans as a "gift" or they would have disposed it as a sign to strip off any memories of the militaristic Imperial Japan.

_Seems like these old man must have been nice enough to be let off the hook by the Americans. _Kamijou concluded as he finished putting a tin can into a tall scare crow, as instructed by the old man.

Kikuchi seemed pleased with how the cadet was able to arranged their targets as he then stood up with the Murata rifle in his hands, "Kamijou-san, you go first."

"Huh? Uh…sure…" Kamijou then took out his M1911 pistol and cleanly fired at all his targets. If Kurata or Fujima is present, they would have cried in tears of joy but to Kamijou's dismay (and perhaps, surprise), Kikuchi didn't find it even convincing. "Decent but not good enough." He then took his turn and even before the young man can move his muscle, Kikuchi had placed the rifle in his hip and began to fire.

"What the…" For someone who is way past his prime, Kikuchi Kouji looked to be as fast as his youthful self as he quickly cocks his rifle with speed that Kamijou didn't anticipate to come from an elderly man. And what's more astonishing is that Kikuchi fired his rifle way beyond his eyesight. While firing from the hip is quite normal in urban settings, where targets are most packed and thus, had greater chances of actually getting hit, this one…

"Is simply unbelievable…" Muttered the boy as Kikuchi finished unloading his rifle.

As the old man blew the barrel of the gun, he then said. "You're a cadet of the NDA but listen rookie; you reach, I teach…"

_What?! _For some reason, Kamijou felt his blood boiling as they moved to the next challenge.

The next challenge consists of plinking several metallic discs. Kamijou offered to take the first shot as he then takes out his M1911 and fired plinked all the targets with just one bullet per each target. But the moment he had done so, Kikuchi surprised him by firing the old but sleek Murata rifle sideways in a sense that he didn't even need to use the iron sights. _It felt like it came naturally for him…_

When they reached their third challenge, Kamijou chuckled as he saw that this next of work should be a piece of cake. "I just need hit that tin can, right? After all the misfortune that happened, this would probably be the consolation that I would receive." He then gleefully celebrated internally as he hit the tin can cleanly after aiming carefully as not to grace the dummy.

But his celebration was short-lived as Kikuchi will show him something so nice that it would be forever etched in his mind.

"Son, when I hit the can, count the seconds before the can lands in the pavement." Kamijou didn't knew why the old man suddenly asked for that but nevertheless, he then waited as Kikuchi reloads the bolt-action rifle. And needless to say, Kikuchi had fired at the can with Kamijou waiting but as soon as the can began to descend, he did something that the young cadet didn't expect to happen.

Kikuchi fired another shot and in effect, the tin can got suspended in the air again by ten inches.

"What the—" Kamijou can't comprehend what he just saw as Kikuchi cocks the rifle again while the tin can continued to stay afloat in the air. Only when his Murata rifle stopped barking that the tin can finally landed in the dirt pavement.

"Son, how many seconds did I get?"

"Eh…thir-thirty seconds?!" Kamijou was stammering as he checked his G-Shock Mens GG-1000-1A5CR Military Watch. _This old man…it would have been much easier if that stunt was done with an assault rifle or a semi-automatic pistol but to do it with a bolt-action rifle from the 1880s…_

Kamijou stood there like some fool while Kikuchi handed him the Type 22. "I get that you kids had the technology and those shiny new guns but we do manual training and we do it in strict manner."

_Yep, I wouldn't want to fight this guy in his prime. _Kamijou grimaced as he grasped the wooded buttstock of the rifle.

* * *

After the display of their markmaship, Kamijou and Kikuchi went back to the living room where they had a hearty snack of hot tea and cookies. As they enjoy their break, the two chatted with each other, with the topic mostly revolving around the differences between the Imperial Japanese Army of the past and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force of the present. As they continued to enjoy their time, Kamijou suddenly asked a random topic.

"Neh, Kikuchi-san, do you still have relatives? It looks like you live alone."

For some reason, Kikuchi stopped being lively and his character suddenly shifted towards a more grim character. _Uh, did I ask something that I shouldn't have? _Kamijou somewhat grew worried as the World War II veteran didn't speak for the moment.

Suddenly, he then smiled before replying. "My wife has died a long time ago and my two daughters had since moved to the United States with their American husbands ten years back. Any relatives that I have, I didn't anymore contact them much anymore. I don't like meddling in their lives. After all, I came from the Imperial Japanese Army Navy and you know the fact that we're all generalized as war criminals." There was a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Maybe I was still lucky that I was one of the few whose war relics were returned by the Americans. My friends weren't that lucky. Worse, most of them were gone by the time we raised up the white flag. I was young at that time. I never thought of committing suicide for the sake of the Emperor…"

Kamijou merely listened as the old man continued.

"I'm not saying that the Imperial Japan wasn't wrong. It was also true that our generation had committed a lot of atrocities whose effects still linger up to the present era." Kikuchi reminisced his past. "My point is, war is hell. No one wins. Every side will lose a lot that they hold. Every nation at one point experienced at and the countried that Imperial Japan had conquered were no excemption. But sometimes, when you're pushed in the corner, you have no choice but to fight back. And that includes even us, who were forcibly conscripted in the army."

There was an immediate pause, with neither side speaking for the moment.

"Well, son. It's getting late. I don't want you to be given one hundred rounds of suicides for truancy." Kikuchi stood up. Kamijou also stood up and before he motioned to move from his position, he said. "Kikuchi-sama, thanks for the time you've given. As you promised, we'll start tomorrow."

"Yes, son." Kikuchi gave him a warm smile but before Kamijou can finally leave, the old man then stopped him from doing so. "Before your return to your barracks, let me give you a piece of advice. When you have your own family, always look after your parents since they are the ones who gave you the life you're enjoying. Inculcate the same thing to your future children so…" There was a sombre smile in the face of the old man. "…you won't at least end up like me…"

Kamijou's eyes widened as he can look at Kikuchi with shock and sympathy. "I…I understand, Kikuchi-sama. Thanks for the words. And by the way…" The young man inhaled. "…can I visit you even after our studies ended?"

The elderly man took up the offer as he looked at the young man. "Yes, Kamijou-san. We just met today but you were like the son that I never had in my entire life…."

* * *

**One Month Later**

"And the new Champion, Kamijou Touma!"

There were cheers everywhere as the young man in question walk up to the stage in the field while everyone was cheering. The young man seemed proud of his achievement—despite the fact the trophy he was holding got detached to pieces after he held it for the reason that it wasn't glued properly.

As the large crowd were gathering at the make-shift stage, Kikuchi Kouji was at the shadows while watching the very young man he had mentored advanced so easily. In his hands were a picture of him in his imperial uniform.

_I just had a feeling that someday, this young boy will surpass me in terms of skill. _He thought as he watch his protégé being carried by one of his teammates.

And as the day pass, Kikuchi went back home unspotted but feeling vindicated, knowing for the fact that for the first time, someone finally understood him in person.


	14. Soliloquy

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* * *

"Is this going to be even a problem?"

Stiyl Magnus thought that forward from now, he wouldn't need to be disturbed in his sanctuary peace. He guessed that he spoke too soon.

"Indigenous magic users in the Middle East?" The Fire Magician mocked his assistant, who only wore a blank face. "You must be kidding me. Even England's weakest magicians are more than a match for these pipsqueaks from Syria to Iran. Let the Amakusa Church deal with them…"

"Sir, that's not the problem." His messenger sighed as he then reads his report. "One of England's distinguished Masons and former magic member in the spy ring at Academy City had turned his back on Necessarius and had joined a violent crime syndicate wanting to smuggle chemicals, explosives, etc that can be used for biological warfare. They secretly operate somewhere in the Middle East and some of those he recruited are known to use talismans. Even a 40mm grenade won't have an effect on them unless the amulet is destroyed or deprived of its magical power. And as of now, Academy City had deployed its Anti-Skill forces in the Golan Heights and the northern part of Nazareth, in the border of Israel and Lebanon. Should they caught up with the Grandmaster and his talisman-carrying mixed force of former Hezbollah fighters and notorious criminals, then this could be a problem to the uneasy and shaky relations between Academy City and us."

Stiyl Magnus nodded as he lights up a cigarette. "I see. So we should neutralize this Grandmaster and we incapacitate the terrorists? Sounds like the problem of the Anti-Skill to deal with it although as you said, we can't let them engage Magicians."

The Necessarius priest can feel his head about to explode as he was trying to come up with a solution to a problem he originally didn't want to focus on. _First, trying to live a quiet life her…second…sending Index money… _

In his own desperation to come up with a clean yet efficient solution, Stiyl was found himself looking into the files of armed units that are now deployed in Israel while disguised a peacekeepers. He quickly checks the files of Anti-Skill as he already knew about the guys in blue. _Boring. _He couldn't have said a better compliment as he quickly moves to the files of Japan's Self Defense Forces. For someone who had encountered Anti-Skill units before, the Fire-emitting magician is actually impressed at the equipment and the organization of the armed forces of a pacifist nation. _Didn't this JSDF just became a full-pledged military? _Stiyl commented as he was on the last page.

The last page of the classified report featured the elite shock force of the Japan Ground Self Defense Forces.

"The Special Forces Group, huh?" Stiyl raised his eyebrows as the page featured men clad in black balaclavas with their M4 carbines and Carl Gustaf recoilless rifles. As he further scanned the profile, he chanced upon the page of the 1st SFGp Company – 4th Platoon. "The test says here that they're one of the best. Their commander is…"

The moment he read the name, he almost choked in his own cigarette as he dropped the piles of paper in the floor.

"Seriously? This boy entered a military force?" Stiyl didn't know if his eyes were just fooling him but upon rechecking the name, he knew he can't be wrong. "Very surprising, indeed."

He then checks his profile and was astounded to see that he entered a military academy unlike his fellow Japanese Necessarius spy, who decided to get a nursing course.

"Well…" Stiyl concluded before he pushes away the files. "Then I guess it's less in the pain at the ass in dealing with _him _rather than Tsuchimikado."

After ten minutes, he stood up and walked away, preparing for another mission.

* * *

The fall of night in Kiryat Shmona was followed by the blanket of powdered pale stars lighting up the whole area and giving the lost mariners their directions to safety.

It was a festive mood at the inn where the medical staff from Academy City is staying and at this point, they were all cooking meat cuisines that were added with ingredients supplied by the Anti-Skill, who brought along fresh supplies with them en route to Israel. For Yomikawa Aiho and the rest of her fellow officers, it was a tiring day which was further added with salt to their injury by the duel between their charismatic commander and the JGSDF Special Forces Group's commander, which was none other than Yomikawa's former student.

"Dammit, Aogami! Give me the meat!"

"Don't hog the meat all by yourself, Tsuchimikado!"

Rather than wasting her time in punching and straightening them up, Fukiyose Seiri can only shake her head as she watched the two idiotic pair of blue and yellow fighting one another just for the single piece of meat, which isn't even cooked. _They're already grown-ups anyway so let them fight and die. _

"Besides, there's still a lot of meat for the Yakiniku." Yomikawa sighed as all the Anti-Skill personnel and majority of the medical staff were busy cooking their own Yakiniku in their tables. The reception area of the inn was large enough to accommodate them so they decided to at least have some fun (and celebrate the success of the rescue of the hostages).

While they were all happily sharing their stories, Yomikawa was drinking heavily again while Tessou was busy filling up the glad of her superior with wine. Fukiyose was silently eating her own piece of barbeque. As they were all enjoying their quiet meal amidst the noise of the background, Yomikawa suddenly began to speak in a slurred but still understandable speech as her face was reddening.

"Yo...where the hell is Kamijou? I want to have a rematch against him!" The Anti-Skill lieutenant ranted as she scrolled her eyes in search or the boy whom she wanted to duel again. "I'll show him…that…" The blue-haired woman hiccupped as she was clutching the glass of wine. "…we…no…slouches…"

"Sensei, you're already drunk…" Tessou worriedly whispered as she plopped the older woman up in her seat. "Please, consume moderately in drinking liquor…"

"Tessou Tsuzuri! Shut up!" Yomikawa wasn't in her right state of mind as she takes on more wine. "That Kamijou and those bastard SFG operators…_kisama_…taking a job that was supposedly meant for us…we're the ones who protect Academy City's citizens…" Yomikawa ranted before breaking into a tearful cry. "You know…children dies during an urban fight…I won't do that…"

"I dunno but Kami-yan and his fellow soldiers probably don't even share that viewpoint." At this point, Tsuchimikado shrugged. "After all, the roles of a police and a soldier, especially that of a special force operator, are just simply too different. Police run after criminals and protect civilians in a local manner. Soldiers are tasked to defend their nation, infiltrate behind the lines, and to recover their lost territories."

"And that's even at the cost of killing children?" Fukiyose raised her eyebrow.

"Look, it's not like Kami-yan wants that." The blonde backstabber chuckled. "But when a child points you with an AK-47 or an RPG, then you won't really have any choice but to fight back, especially if they are already indoctrinated to train to kill."

The Forehead Deluxe stayed silent. Somehow, what Tsuchimikado said was true and undeniable.

"By the way, where's Hime-yan?" Aogami asked. "She's supposed to join us here."

"You mean the girl with the long black hair?" Tessou looked surprised. "I think she went that way…to the place where the SFG operators are staying…"

"What? What she's going to do, join Kami-yan clean his gun?" Tsuchimikado looked flabbergasted. "I even doubt she held a firearm before, right Fu—huh, where's Fukiyose?"

The spot where Fukiyose Seiri was sitting was already empty.

* * *

For nearly an hour, Kamijou Touma and Himegami Aisa were busy shooting some targets.

The spiky haired boy was using his own H&K USP pistol while Himegami had to borrow Fujima's own USP sidearm. Moreover, the Gemstone had to use shooting goggles and muffs since unlike the SFG and even the regular JGSDF, she wasn't used to the ear-piercing noise of the .45 ACP pistol.

If anyone was wondering how she ended up going here in their barracks, let's go back to the events an hour and a half ago.

Himegami originally wanted to bring some set of yakiniku and the finest wine to the SFG but most notably to her former classmate, Fujima, and Kurata. So while everyone was busy fighting over the meat in their inn, she quietly slipped outside of their place and she sprinted fast as she didn't want to be caught by her best friend. It wasn't long before she finally reached the place and to her joy, she saw Kamijou and his three friends manning a post as they seemed to be absorbed in their own conversation.

In contrast to the festive mood in the inn, the compound of the JSDF-SFG looked a bit melancholic as every one of them is on high alert status that was raised by their mother unit back in Camp Narashino, Chiba. This was evident by the fact that almost every one of the JSDF members are in their battle gear as Himegami spotted Kamijou clutching not only his usual M4 carbine and his "doll" but also an FN P90 compact personal defense weapon (PDW) slung in his back, probably as a secondary weapon which relegated his two pistols to tertiary options.

But even before Himegami can move a step ahead, Kurata's sharp eyes saw her silhouette figure and immediately called out to her. The Miko girl froze in her spot as she heard Kamijou cock his M4 carbine as they slowly move towards her position. It was only when Fujima used his flashlight that her pale face was shown and Kamijou's reaction was priceless.

"Eh?! Himegami?! Uh…sorry! We're just being sure that no lunatic terrorists would threaten to harm Japanese citizens again!"

In short, Himegami was able to deliver the goods to Kamijou's unit and as she watched the SFG operators temporarily stop to take a rest for the moment and began to consume her goodies, she felt something she didn't even feel from the medical staff she was working with.

They all looked happy with the simple things that she brought.

Kurata looked like he was about to celebrate as he raised the bottle of wine for the cheers and the rest of the males went ahead as they filled their stomachs with meat and liquor. There was no rule for them not to accept food from Japanese citizens so this was a plus for them. _Unlike Tsuchimikado-kun and Aogami-kun, they already looked happy by the fact that they managed to taste wine. _Himegami observed as she realized that the two idiots might already be fighting over the barbeque back in their quarters. Amidst the somewhat lively mood, Kamijou inadvertently asked the Miko girl if she would like to shoot some rounds in their armory.

Nevertheless, the Miko girl accepted the offer.

"This was a good exercise. I'm glad they allow Japanese visitors here." Kamijou happily said as he reloads his pistol for another round. "Are you still fine, Himegami? Fujima's pistol might be too heavy for you and it could be straining your…"

"No, Kamijou-kun, I'm fine." The Miko girl shook her head as she entered into a shooting stance. "It would be good if I experience all the hardships a soldier goes through…"

She then fires a shot, which ended somewhat far away from the target circle.

"So this is what is like to shoot a gun…" Himegami sighed as she knew she had zero skill in holding a katana, much less a sophisticated firearm. "I know how to use a bow and an arrow but shooting a gun is a bit different. If archery had the feel of finesse and gracefulness, shooting a gun felt like using brute force…"

"Huh? That doesn't seem the way for me." Kamijou replied, unsure of what he'll say next. "Even my mentor said that shooting a gun requires having a crafty master…"

"You have a gun mentor?"

"Yeah." Kamijou scratched his head as he remembered the laugh of Kikuchi Kouji. "He's a World War II veteran so it might be a shock to you to know that he's a former member of the Imperial Japanese Army. He had killed a lot of American serviceman. If it's for you and my pre-NDA self, it would look outrageous but right now, I actually found it self-sacrifice for himself. He abandoned his youth to defend his nation. For me, there's no better love for the country than what he just did, no matter how much evil his fellow compatriots had done at that time."

There was an immediate silence.

Himegami blinked and blinked.

"Kamijou-kun, that was quite deep…"

"Eh?! Really?!"

Himegami sighed as she put down the gun and scanned her eyes on the variety of firearms in the table. She then picked up a random firearm and looked at the boy straight to the eye.

"Kamijou-kun, what kind of gun is this?"

"Ah…be careful…" Kamijou then took hold of the gun but to his bad luck, the gun accidentally went off although he was lucky it had a silencer. Even so, it hit a nearby palm tree and soon after, a palm fruit ended up violently hitting the scalp of the boy.

"Oww!" Kamijou cried in pain as he holds his head. "Such misfortune!"

After that, he recomposes himself and holds the gun. "Hnn. Forget about that, Himegami. Anyway, this is an H&K G36. This is the main standard assault rifle of the Bundeswehr or the German Armed Forces. Here, the SFG used it as special weapon along with the Colt M4. This baby looks cool though there were reports that this thing melts as it fires but so far, it was a pretty good weapon for us." Kamijou then shoots it and Himegami was amazed that despite the strong kick of the rifle, the young man hardly missed his target.

But before Himegami can even say a single word, she found herself suddenly getting goosebumps as the whole temperature suddenly dropped drastically but that wasn't the only dilemma.

It looks like it was coming from a certain direction and it was made worse by the fact that Kamijou doesn't seem to feel it as he was busy shooting some rounds.

Turning her head slowly, she gasped as she found herself staring into her best friend's eyes but that wasn't the scariest thing. Rather, it's the fact that her best friend's gaze doesn't seem to be like her.

The usually steely and unwavering brown orbs were ice-cold, blank, void, and emotionless.

* * *

**FUKIYOSE'S POV**

At first, I didn't even expect to see what I just saw here.

After Aisa suddenly went missing, I was in a pinch. I thought all the while that she was just in our room, fixing something. For some reason, my blood began to boil as soon as I heard Yomikawa's kouhai that she went to Touma-kun's camp. What was she thinking? Does she even know that she had to look out after these two ruffians in Tsuchimikado and Aogami since they were already hogging the meat of everyone else in the other tables? But since she was already out of my eyes, I knew I had to come and get her there.

But before that, I knew that I had to pack something to Touma-kun as a thank-you sign to him. Geez, why am I getting nervous by the fact that I just had to pack meat in the basket? I'll just give it to him and get back Aisa, right?

So I found myself running into the somewhat dimly-lit camp of the SFG. Why does Touma-kun have to serve in this place where they are barely taken care off? He could have just joined Anti-Skill if he does really want to be beneficial to the community. But on the other hand, it must have been fate that he landed on the JSDF. Maybe when we're alone, I'll have to use my greatest asse—

Woah! Don't think of such things, Fukiyose Seiri. You're the Iron Wall Girl for the right reason!

Not long after, I immediately spotted his—what's his name? Was it something like Fujima or what? Whatever his name is, I don't know and I don't care.

So here, I ask him for Touma-kun and Aisa's location. The moment he answered my question, I almost dropped the basket in shock.

Touma-kun's having a moment with Aisa, my very loyal best friend?

Suddenly feeling adrenaline rushing through my veins, I quickly and violently pushed the basket towards another of Kamijo's friends—I think he's name was Kurata-something or so. I didn't mind the stare those two are giving me as Kurata-something was holding the basket on both shock and somewhat offense at what I just did but I couldn't care less.

The moment I saw the two of them, I already knew I couldn't take it anymore.

Touma-kun's holding Aisa behind her as he was teaching her how to hold a gun. I can only watch helplessly here in my spot as I watch him enjoying his time. But that wasn't only he did. He even pointed out some tips on how to handle his gun better.

I can feel something inside me snapping as I feel like my world was about to tear apart.

But then again, this is Touma-kun, right? He's just a best friend, right?

**Oh, my god…**

Yeah, it…really wasn't my fault I saw Touma-kun naked this morning in the hospital when he was asleep. It…I can't really help it since it's…unique coming from him. Naturally, one would be curious at seeing such delicious—I mean, distinct feature from a former class clown. Naughty boy, do you badly needed to know my reactions with those glossy packs you have sported?

Not that I mind. Maybe this is the inspiration that I need.

**Seriously, Seiri…your're fantasizing! Stop it!**

Calm down, Seiri! Calm down! Easy girl! Don't just get flustered or anything just because of someone who loves to complain his laziness before. It's just Touma-kun. The guy who was your former middle school and high school classmate. The guy who is friends with those two idiots. That's the guy who saved my life from danger not once, not twice but thrice. That's the guy whom I would want to drag into a random hotel room and tore each other's clothing…

**OK! Clearly, I'm having my mind messed up! I'm not supposed to feel anything from him! **

Might as well have to drag out Aisa to cleanse my mind right now. She'll probably ask something to divert my attention.

But the more I try to fight it off, the more I knew I'm getting trapped as I watch my best friend cutely (and annoyingly) ask Touma-kun how to handle a random gun she probably didn't even have an experience holding one. Maybe if I was the one there…maybe…

**Stop it, Seiri!**

…

…

…

**Dammit, why! Why out of everybody, it should be her?! Why can't I have my own peace?!**

…

…

…

**Dammit, I don't like you, Touma-kun, I already love you so much! You're already in my perfect dreams every night! You know what? I take back everything I once believed out of you. So it's really that feeling, huh? Hihi and here I was, trying to fool myself that it wasn't like that.**

…

…

…

There's nothing wrong to try to love again even when a random guy who dated you back in middle school wasn't serious at all. And in contrast to him, Touma-kun's a good guy. He won't treat you badly. He would treat you right.

**Yeah, just right and smooth.**

Now, I can feel my saliva about to leak. I'm not sure because of the shock from seeing them together or it's just I'm beginning to get _thirsty _for him.

But I'm sure I'm not the only one racing towards his heart.

This is going to be rough and tough, seeing that he's with Aisa. Not to mention that he had that gluttonous nun and that crazy lightning girl whom I heard is actually a Level Five. I know it sounds crazy but for some reason, it seemed Fujima-something and Kurata-something would be a problem too in the future so I had to be careful. I know there are still many girls out there but one thing is for sure.

There's no way I'm letting my **boyfriend, husband, and loverboy** fall into the clutches of others and save for Aisa, I'll have to teach them a lesson if I have to.

Come to think of it, I'm now in a nurse clothing and Touma-kun's in a soldier clothing. Isn't that the greatest thing one can see?!

**Come to think of it, before he departed from Academy City the same day we all graduated, he said that I will look good in a nurse clothing because I am responsible person who will take care of a lot of people. **

**Hehehe, you're my husband so of course, I'll take care of you, Touma-kun. **

I already missed the opportunity to have some time with him but this time, I won't fail.

**You want me, don't you? Don't worry, I like you too. That look of you says you want be so badly that you were willing to die for me. How bad, I don't know. Wanna visit my clinic sometimes?**

**I'll be a good nurse so don't worry about thinking about failure. I'll scan you everywhere. Make sure to search every last inch of you.**

**At this point, I'm not wasting my chance. Hehehe. You though I'm the Iron Wall Girl you know and the bland one you know, Touma-kun? Honestly, I'm really responsible student who just looks out for the welfare of others but just say the words and I'll be whatever you need me to be.**

**And if you need medicine?**

**Don't worry.**

**I've got something so sweet and fluffy to make sure your dilemma goes real well and you will forget your problems instantly. **

* * *

Fukiyose Seiri somehow managed to snapped outside her imagination when she heard some voice.

"H-Hey, Fukiyose! You've been spacing out for some minutes now!"

"Seiri…Seiri…"

The Forehead Deluxe managed to recover from her very sweet day dreaming just in time to see Kamijou and Himegami, who was a cold sweat running into her face, watching her with very weird faces.

"Hey, Fukiyose." Kamijou started while his rifle rested in his fully-loaded chest rig. "I thought you were so deep in your thought that we would be disturbing you. Well, it looks like you are fine." Kamijoou had a chuckle but for some reason, Himegami was starting to get frightened at the expression her best friend is showing.

_It doesn't even look like her._

"Hmph. I just needed to get Aisa out of here before he gets influenced with your violent tactics." Fukiyose fakes a snarl. "But on the other hand, no words are enough to say how much I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I honestly thought I wasn't going to see my younger brother and my parents."

"Nah, just fine." Kamijou waved it off. "By the way, I didn't know you had a younger brother."

"I do have." Fukiyose sighed. "In fact, like you, he's entering the NDA this year."

"Huh? Then let's pray that he doesn't have to experience being pressured as a top ace of the university." Kamijou sighed, knowing all too well the demands of becoming the university ace. "By the way, where the hell did you hear that I came from the NDA? Tsuchimikado only knew it recently."

"I asked your friends. Got any problem?" The girl gruffly replied.

"Ah, right." The spiky haired boy decided not to push it further. "Since it's getting dark, why don't I walk you two back to the inn? Right, Himegami?"

"Uh…of course, Kamijou-kun…"


	15. Green Gable

_**Wew, after a while, I was able to update. Since it's been a long time, my skills got a bit rusty so forgive me. And when I actually reread that last chapter, I just realized I had written a Yandere-ish Fukiyose. Yikes.**_

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* * *

"You know what? I'm sick of this!"

Misaka Mikoto threw her arms in the air in exasperation as Index merely watched her do so with a blank expression as she continued to eat her chicken barbeque with little care for the world.

It has only been three days since their plane has made its touchdown into the airport of the world's only Jewish state but so far, things had not been going quite well for the two, who had made it their mission to drag back a certain spiky haired boy, who is based somewhere in the north as a part of a multi-national "peacekeeping" operation.

First, the duo accidentally ran into a synagogue in Tel Aviv, thinking that it was a place for asking information about the on-going peacekeeping operations. Having mistaken them for being terrorists, the Jewish rabbi who happened to be praying in front of the Torah Ark, almost lose his mind and cursed them, prompting the Level Five to nearly drew her electric shocks if it wasn't for the local security forces, who quickly intervened to sort out this mess. "_These kids lack manners these days…_" The rabbi cursed in Hebrew as he watched the brunette and the silver-haired loli walk away from his synagogue.

The second incident is the time where Misaka and Index decided to ride a taxi which is bound for the Northern District of Israel. What was supposed to be a peaceful ride turned to be chaotic as the engine of the taxi cab unexpectedly broke down as they were already mid-way into the journey. As the Israeli sun was already very hot in the first place, Index can't help but perspire very much as she and the Railgun was forced to go down the taxi and stay in a nearby Olive tree shade as the driver, who seemed to speak in a Russianized accent of Hebrew, was busy checking the engine. After an hour…

"_Hey!_" The now impatient Misaka was fanning herself as she shouts at the startle driver in English, "_How long's that gonna take?! It's hot here, you know!_"

They didn't understand the driver's terse Hebrew response but judging by how the lanky man literally kicked their belongings out of his cab while muttering angry phrases, they don't need to know what he meant.

"Neh, Short Hair? Do you have more money?" Index was oblivious to the foul mood that the Electro Princess is showing as they were currently sitting in front of a Kosher store. "I'm still…"

"CAN YOU SHUT IT?!" Perhaps, the hot weather was already getting into the skin of Misaka as she yells. "Can't you think things other than food? You know very well why we're here in Israel…"

"Neh…neh…Silver Sister…when are we going to find Touma?"

Misaka Mikoto facepalmed.

As the two continued to eat at the Kosher store, Index suddenly opened her mouth, "I hope Touma is safe. But I'm pretty sure he'll come back good as new. He did it with the Magicians seven years back. I'm have faith with Touma dealing with terrorists."

Misaka was about to retort with the English nun but something about what Index said made her clamp her mouth. _Well…she does have a point. _As much as she wanted to argue back, she saw the validity of the points in the statement of the silver-haired nun and decided that for now, the winner of this argument is the person sitting directly in front of her.

"By the way, we're are we again?"

Misaka sighed. _I take it back what I said. _"We're somewhere in this city of Safed." She said while checking on her phone which had a map. "And while it might be out of our plans, I had to say that this place is pretty. Even refreshing that it's less stressing here compared to Academy City. You have any idea what this place is, by the way?"

"Not much, Short Hair but the city of Safed one of the places back in the mentioned by the historian Joephus for its prominence in the announcement of Rosh Chodesh back in the early days of Christianity."

Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) is the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the birth of a new moon. It is considered a minor holiday, akin to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. Being one of the cities that lit its fires to announce the coming of the new moon, Safed was a fortified city in the Crusaders' Kingdom of Jerusalem, known to them as Saphet. The Mamluk Sultan Baibars captured the city in 1266 and appointed a governor to take charge of the fortress. Under the Ottomans, Safed was the capital of the Safad Sanjak, which encompassed much of the Galilee and extended to the Mediterranean coast. During the Jewish War of Independence in the late 1940s, the Palmach (elite fighting force of the Haganah) attacked the Arab section of Safed took place on 6 May, as a part of Operation Yiftah, resulting in its capture and its annexation into the present-day Israeli state.

"And now, I understand why most people here have guns…" Misaka sighed as he spotted a Jewish woman in her jeans and black tank top while she was slinging an M4 carbine in her shoulders. "This place had been a battlefield between the Jewish majority and the embattled Muslims. And speaking of that girl's gun, it looks extremely similar to that idiot's gun from the photos that I have seen."

"I thought so too. Can't really believe that Touma would become a soldier, to be honest." Index had just barely finished her food as she then goes on to drink her bottled water. "It just doesn't suit him. Well, at least, for me…"

"For this once, I agree with you, Silver Sister. It just doesn't suit that big idiot." Misaka grunted as she was about to eat her own chicken barbeque.

"Eh? Misaka-san?"

The mentioned Railgun almost choked in her skewer as she heard that feminine voice call out to her all of the sudden. As if she was suddenly possessed by an evil spirit, she turned her head as her neck squeaked like a door without oil in its hinges and in an instant, her radar senses blinked as her line of sight spotted a mop of blonde and starry eyes staring directly at her in shock.

"Ara…ara…I never thought that you two would be here as well…"

"Shoukuhou?! How did you get here?!"

"About three days ago, I was about to get food here since I stay at a nearby hotel…"

"THAT'S NOW WHAT I MEANT!"

* * *

It was just early in the morning and yet, Kamijou Touma is already up in his feet.

"Did I sleep so early or I just can't sleep at all?" He sighed to himself as he then went to his cabinet to finally don his usual battle gear. As he was about to wear his chest rig and web gear. He was surprised to see Othinus beside his standard Colt M4 carbine.

"You're awake, Othinus."

"Do you really have to repeat it, human? And since you're going into a battlefield, I even took the pain of cleaning this sophisticated battle implement of yours. This still looks like a toy compared to my Gungir." Othinus grunted as she checks every nook and cranny of the barrel of the 5.56 firearm.

_Duh, of course. _Kamijou sighed as he changed topics. "Ya know, I was informed yesterday that there will be a contingent from the Philippines who would reinforce us in the aftermath of the attack on the UN Congolese battalion." He stated as he was wearing his combat boots. "And if I'm not mistaken, we would meet them as international counterparts. In fact, I wished one of our batchmates would be there as well."

"What? You have a batchmate there?"

"Not really a rare case in the NDA." Kamijou explains as he was finally cocking his M4 carbine to check if it has no slugs left in it. "Yearly, there are about a hundred foreign cadets who are studying there either by their government subsidiary or by the usual exchange program thingy."

"Is that a subtle way of saying that they don't have good military academies?" The former Magic God raised her eyebrows.

"I doubt the Philippine Military Academy is a bad institution." He replied as he picks up the tiny mage before he adds quietly. "In fact, it might be even a better institution that ours…"

The duo then went out of the barracks and immediately, Kamijou was greeted by the sight of Kurata, who seemed to have just woken up as his hair is still messy. "Yo, morning cappy." He saluted which Kamijou returned. "You're just in time. The flag ceremony is just about to start. All of the guys here is already in position. Fujima and Jin would be the ones raising the flag for today."

"I see…" Kamijou yawned as he then goes into position before the sound of "Kimigayo" was being blared. "Kimigayo wa…Chiyo ni yachiyo ni…" Kamijou hummed as he can feel Othinus cringing at his voice while he was saluting at the flag of the Land of the Rising Sun. _Such misfortune. _

In a short while, the flag ceremony just ended and immediately, Kamijou and his band of SFG operators are gathered in a circle as the rest of the regular JSDF infantry are just going back to their barracks for their own agendas for the day. "Where's Kawasaki-san and the two other females in our group?"

"They went to the airport to meet with the Philippine contingent." Nagano Jun, one of their riflemen, replied rather stiff. "I think they're already on their way here."

"I see. Well, the agenda we have today is just to maintain peace and to meet with our Filipino counterparts later in the morning. Have any news about the so-called smuggled parts?" Kamijou asked in professional tone.

"None, sir." Tanaka replied as he clutched his own M4 rifle. "The best thing we could hope for is coordinate with the rest of the JGSDF here as well as the Israelis. The latter are the ones who know this place very well since this is…uh…their own soil…"

"That makes sense." Fujima nodded as he was dusting off his boonie hat. "By the way, Kamijou, the guys on the other side invited us all for breakfast. Should we go or not? I had to hold off our own cooks so as to not waste anything valuable."

"Ah…" Kamijou groaned as the "guys from the other side" could probably mean the guys from Academy City. "Well, since they invited us, it would be too rude not to accept it. Let's go, guys!" He ordered as immediately, every one of the young men began to walk out in formation and into the compound of the Academy City's medical staff and Anti-Skill.

"You know what…I don't like those guys in blue." Kurata snorted as he immediately spotted an Anti-Skill guy in his own sophisticated powered suit and SIG assault rifle. "I don't know why but they give me some vibes of we're-better-than-you-all thing."

"With those sophisticated equipment they have, I'm not surprised you feel that way." Fujima sighed. "And I'm pretty sure it's not surprising for Kamijou here since he came from Academy City."

"Yeah, not really surprising to see Yomikawa-sensei suddenly barging here with her guns blazing." Kamijou replied, still amused over the events of yesterday where he accepted and defeated her former physical education teacher in a duel. "And with my former classmates at sight, things are just bound to get interesting."

The moment they entered the compound, they saw an usherette bringing in the other SFG operators in a table reserved for them. However, this meant that the trio of Kamijou and his two friends were left without any table. The spiky haired boy winced at this arrangement. _I think I know where this is going to lead us to…_

"Yo, Kami-yan, over here!"

_I knew it. _Kamijou sighed as he then looks at the spot where he heard the voice of Tsuchimikado call him out and he saw the blonde together with Aogami. Fukiyose and Himegami are also in the table and surprisingly, Yomikawa is also sat along with them while her face told the boy that she is still fuming over her lost yesterday.

The moment the three SFG operators join the large table, silence suddenly ensued as an awkward tension suddenly prevailed over the people involved. Seeing how awkward it was for them, Fujima decided to break the silence by pretending he was checking his M4 magazine as he keep cocking and tapping the spring and guide platform of the STANAG magazine.

"So…what are we going to eat?" Kurata can't stand it any longer and he decided to speak for their team leader, who was too tense to even start the conversation. "We had to eat large amounts because we're meeting with a foreign contingent later on."

"Scrambled eggs, bacons, anything left from last night, and fried rice." Fukiyose replied curtly as her brown orbs inadvertently locked with her former classmate's blue eyes and from there, the boy suddenly felt that feeling that Himegami felt last night. _Uh…what was that? _

"By the way, if it's the Filipinos we're going to meet, than I assume we'll meet _them._" Fujima emphasized the latter word.

"Them? Who are they?" Himegami was slightly curious.

"Hnn. It's my batch mate and one of our foreign upperclassmen from the NDA days." Finally, Kamijou had broken out of his tense feeling.

"Foreign, heh?" Tsuchimikado grinned. Tell, me Kami-yan, is it a woman?"

"Idiot. Don't casually drop subjects that are supposed to be between us only." Kamijou retorted. "And it's not a woman, dammit."

"In fact…" Fujima began to speak. "That batchmate of ours is one of the very few who can give Kamijou a run for his money in terms of sniping skill."

_Is he rubbing it in my face or what? _Yomikawa wanted to yell at Fujima but chose not to.

"Well, he needs that. It's the Philippines after all." Kamijou replied as food began to be served. "You know…they have those crazy communist and Islamists terrorist groups in their backyard."

A tropical nation south of Japan, the Philippines has been known to be a home for three major insurgent groups, namely the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the south, and the feared terrorist group, the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). The NPAs in particular have been waging war since 1969 and more than 43,000 insurgency-related fatalities were recorded.

"How the NPAs managed to last that long is beyond me." Kamijou interjected.

"Can we just eat peacefully? This is breakfast, not some kind of as anti-communist conference." Fukiyose didn't want to admit it due to her pride but she was a bit surprised that her former classmate knew things that aren't normally discussed in their own classrooms in Academy City. _He must have learned it either in the NDA or by experience alone. _

Either way, her heart's been beating harder that much ever since the boy came into the picture.

As the group was peacefully eating lunch, Yomikawa decided it was time to open her mouth and asked Himegami, "Himegami, don't you have any medical missions for today?"

"None, Yomikawa-sensei." The Miko woman replied truthfully. "It's the turn of the others to serve and Doctor Himuro said we can have a break for today and tomorrow."

"Well, that's good. You'd be safe here with Anti-Skill…" Yomikawa happily replied before her expression turned bitter and she added in a whisper. "…and Kamijou with his boys…"

Suddenly, the walkie-talkie that the young man had in his belt began to buzz. Kamijou then dropped his spoon to answer it. "Hello. Lancer here. Is this Roseline?"

"_Positive, Lancer. The green gable is here. I repeat, the green gable is here. They would be entering where you are right now._"

"_Not in our compound?_"

"_Negative. Subjects haven't eaten breakfast as well._"

"_Okay, copy._"

"Yo, is that Kawasaki-san?" Kurata asked.

"Yeah…and it seemed the guys have already arrived." Kamijou sighed.

And true to Kawasaki's message, the people in the mess hall began to hear sounds of army trucks beginning to enter the compound. Tsuchimikado had hardly finished his meal when the first truck arrived. The moment that the Anti-Skill allowed the truck to pass through, the large vehicle then stopped in front of the place where the rest of the people were eating and from there, individuals in dark camouflage began to alight from the vehicle as they are all carrying boxes of what looks like ammunition similar to the ones being used by both the SFG and the Anti-Skill.

"Not to be rude since I'm not an expert of these things but…" Himegami narrowed her eyes towards a Filipino who is holding an M16A1 rifle. "Don't you think that their equipment is a bit…old?" She didn't know how to place it.

She does have a point, though. The Filipinos that arrived in this place are equipped with a variety of weaponry and although some of them have the more modern R4 assault rifle, the rest were equipped with a mix of the older M16A1, M16A2, the heavier M14 battle rifle, a few locally-built Elisco CAR-15s, and a…"

"I expected them to have the M14 but I didn't expect to see a single M1 Garand being used as a sniper rifle." Kamijou noted in jest as he saw a muscular man with the mentioned M1C sniper rifle slung in his shoulders.

"_Human, they seem to be in tatters but from the looks of it, they look like battle-hardened fighters." _Othinus commented as he sat in the lap of the young man. "_Don't underestimate them._"

"Kamijou…"

They all turned to see a young man of their age suddenly running towards their table. The young man in question is wearing a PHILARPAT BDU uniform and a chest rig as he held an M16A1 in his hands. Fukiyose doesn't even know this guy personally but it just took a single reply from Kamijou to see that this young man isn't just a total stranger.

"Ah. It's been a while…Rapisura-san…"

* * *

For the guy named Bernardino Rapisura, it was just like yesterday when he was just a plebe at the National Defense Academy of Japan.

The stocky Filipino who stood at the same ceiling as Kamijou didn't realize how old he was as he remembered the time when he and Kamijou belonged to the same class. In fact, it might be an obscure detail but Rapisura was the same guy who was pushing up beside the spiky haired young man when they had their initiation rites before they can formally enter the university. In terms of sniping skill, he was said to be in par with Kamijou Touma and if he wasn't a bit lazy, he could have beaten him in at least one occasion.

But that's the least of his concerns. Not after his graduation, he was immediately sent back to the Philippines where he was assigned in an anti-communist patrol together with another official in their team who also happened to be his upperclassmen back in the NDA. It was like fate as he and the said official were together in their patrol. One time, they were searching for communist insurgents in an unnamed town in the north of the Philippines when they were suddenly ambushed by nearly a hundred rebels, who are hiding in the jungles. As the battle went on, Rapisura was pinned down under a Molave tree before he saw one of his comrades get hit in the legs. Desperate in their situation, the young man finally broke out of his comfort zone as he switched to semi-automatic mode and he began to plink the Reds one by one. Because of his accurate and well-timed rate of fire, he managed to beat back the insurgents as the patrol finally began to counterattack. It was a bloody day that he won't forget to this day.

And so, he began to savor this moment where he was selected to join the peacekeeping team.

"Won't _he _be around?" Kamijou asked as they adjusted their seats to give space to the new comer, who was hesitant to sit with them before Fujima managed to persuade him.

"Captain Villarosa won't be around. He's in the hospital, having to treat his battle wounds. It's a shame he won't be here. He would be happy to see you as well. But after this, he'll earn his Scout Ranger tab." Rapisura said in decent Japanese that somehow surprised Tsuchimikado and Fukiyose. "By the way, I heard you got some action for yourself." He put down his M16A1 in front of Yomikawa, who is somehow curious at Kamijou's foreign friend.

"Yeah and it looked like you haven't ate breakfast yourself. In fact, none of you looked like you have eaten at all." Kamijou said as he shoved a plate of rice in front of the stocky man, who gracefully accepted it. "Ah. By the way, the guys in front of us are the medical staff of Academy City. You know, that thing that I told you."

"I see. Then I guess it's a pleasure to meet you all." Rapisura stood up and politely extended his hands towards Fukiyose, who calmly took it as not to look like she was rude.

"Pleasure to meet one of Kamijou-kun's friends…." Himegami whispered.

"And after this, we'll have an official ceremony before we have a mini-war game outside." The Filipino said as he scooped the rice and eggs with his bare hands, a fact that almost horrified the Iron Wall Girl and the Miko girl as they thought it was unsanitary.

_Kamijou/Kamijou-kun, why the hell did you befriend someone like him?! There's a reason why a spoon and form exists! _

"Yeah, yeah. We planned that, anyway." The spiky haired boy replied as in the background, the Filipinos began to eat their meals as well.

"_This is going to be interesting human. I want to see how much of a warrior he is._" Othinus smirked as she can't wait to see them in action.

"Othinus, just so you know, we're not going to kill each other."

But as the SFGp operators and the Filipino guy engaged in a conversation, Yomikawa can only glare at Rapisura and his fellow Filipinos, who had their boonie hats and guns slung with them.

_I had a feeling that I won't like this guy as well. _


	16. Reunion Two Point Zero

_Replies for Reviews_

_SciFi Maker – Thanks for the review!_

_Sleipir – You might see a glimpse of Islamic magic in this chapter._

_Whwsms – As usual, thanks for the critique and comment. _

_Guest (1) – Maybe. Who knows._

_Tsun – Yeah, thanks for the review._

_Fencer29 – Tbh, kinda forget about that fact on Index's grimoires so sorry for that._

_Guest (2) – 1) Tbh with you, I sometimes feel about not replying at all (depends on my mood or some stuff that I do) or I'd just give short ones although I do read the comments to have an insight. 2) That was you? Okay(?) If you want to see that though, someone have adopted it though I don't know when does he plan to post the story. 3) Grammar checker? Maybe I'll find one someday. I just feel like it's a hassle. 4) I don't know. I have no plans as of it yet. As I stated before, I sometimes tend to write without any plan ahead since I'm more comfortable with that._

* * *

"You know what? I'm surprised that you even thought of helping us. Normally, you would have kept this to yourself."

"Tee-hee! What are you saying Misaka-san? I was even kind enough to let you cool off in this hotel room that I rented!"

Shokuhou Misaki smiled rather childishly as she showed her two unsuspecting guests in Misaka Mikoto and Index Librorum Prohibitorum, who was just so happy that she can finally cool down in front of an air conditioning unit. As the two plopped themselves in the bed, the starry-eyed Shokuhou heaved a sigh as she brought out two shaved ice from the fridge and she doused them with guava jam and other fruit sweetener before she gave them to her guests.

"I never knew that my prince would become a soldier, much less someone who would enter a military academy." The blonde started as she sat in front of Misaka, who only wore a blank face. "But then, I guess it worked out for him either way. With not much opportunities for him in Academy City since he's officially ranked a Level 0, I guess it was just better for him to attend a school that can utilize his skills pretty well…"

"I hardly find a military academy a place where he can thrive…" Misaka tried to reason out as she licks her spoon since it was nice to eat something cold after travelling under the hot Israeli sun for many hours.

"It might sound strange but it worked for him under strange circumstances." Shokuhou smiled sadly. "In fact, I still don't know about what to do when I do find him here but for now, I simply wanted to see him after almost five years."

"As for me, we'll just bring him back to Academy City." Misaka bluntly stated while unexpectedly, Shokuhou was just surprised by her sudden decision. "I mean, if it would keep him safe from…"

"Misaka-san, don't you think that's a bit far-fetched?"

"Hah? What do you mean?"

"I mean is, my prince chose this path himself and as much as a loved him so much in my dreams, I know I can't stop him in choosing his career." Shokuhou then made her own analysis. "By the looks of it, it seemed that you wanted to take away his only proper job."

"What?" Misaka was slightly offended by the upfront accusation. "I never said anything about taking away his job. What I mean is I will bring him back to Academy City where it is much safer…"

"Geez, I don't think you get what I'm saying. Besides, you might actually offend him by doing that." Shokuhou pointed out. "Besides, my prince isn't someone who would put himself in danger just blindly as you might be thinking. And I'm pretty sure he had friends in his own career who are helping him."

"You both talk way too seriously." The two Level 5s turned their heads to see Index giving her opinion as she gleefully eats her shaved ice. "Touma is strong and so powerful that I doubt he would go down without any fight. Besides, as Shiina said to me one time, there is no one in their clan who is a coward. I may not know some of the details in Touma's mission but this one might be significant to him as someone who just started his career. And also, he's a sharpshooter! Every enemy would be too afraid to fight him!"

"I don't really get you too though Silver Sister's really incomprehensible to begin with," Misaka huffed as she eats her shaved ice cream, "Besides, we three are already here in Israel. There's no turning back unless you wanted to chicken out, Shokuhou."

"Who? Me? HAHAHAHA!" The blonde laughed rather mockingly as she glares straight into Misaka's eyes. "If that was the case, I would have abandoned you all four years ago but as you see, I had no intention on running away when the stakes are high. Or rather…" She pretended to be shocked as she covered her mouth, "Are you the one who wanted to back out considering this place is filled with terrorists?"

"Shut it…" Misaka vehemently denied as she nearly choked in her ice dessert, "And if you don't know, we used to join the protest against the JSDF. Don't you think it's quite contradictory for him to join such scandal-riddled organization?"

"I heard that Kamijou-san only agreed to join the mass movement because it was an alternative for him rather than being pushed back for another year due to his grades." Shokuhou stated a fact. "Of course, he would just do anything so that he can graduate. Ah…I hate this heavy atmosphere that you emit, Misaka-san. Why don't we just go outside and have fun for the moment?"

"There's no time for us to have fun, you know. We needed to find that idiot in this short time that I have and besides, don't you think you'll be marked as absent? We can do this on our own," Misaka insisted as she stood up.

"Coming from someone who is my classmate, I don't think you can make me leave that easily, Misaka-san," The Mental Out sighed as she stands up as well, "If it means I can get closer to him, then I'll go with you. We are both Level 5's Misaka-san so attendance shouldn't be a problem to us."

"Eh, you're right…"

The three girls then walked out of the hotel and as they were walking in the streets, they were all wondering the same thing.

_How are we supposed to get to him that fast when we're encircling this place like idiots going nowhere?_

It is at that moment when a convoy of trucks suddenly stopped in front of them. Normally, the three would have dismissed them as ordinary garbage trucks or concrete mixers but the color scheme of the vehicles made then stop and stare. The trucks are all painted in the camouflage colors of the JSDF and each one of them bore a sentence in the sides, saying "**JSDF Detachment, Kiryat Shmona.**"

Suddenly, Shokuhou grinned like a joker as she suddenly stated, "Misaka-san, Index-san, you know what I'm thinking?"

* * *

Kamijou Touma sure knows how many guns he had handled today.

"This is the fifth one and it's the trusty M14 battle rifle of the Filipinos," he sighed to himself as he was lying down on the floor while the M14, which was borrowed to him by a certain Technical Sergeant Ramos, was rested in a sand bag. 300 meters in front of him is a Filipino private, who was calmly holding a short stick in his back with two small balloons attached in each ends of the stick.

As he was calming down his nerves, everyone from the SFGp and the Filipino peacekeepers are watching intently as well as the former classmates of Kamijou, Yomikawa, Tsuzuri, and a few Anti-Skill personnel who wanted to see this kind of a sniper contest between the Japanese and the Filipinos.

"Are you sure he would be able to hit that?" Himegami was slightly worried that Kamijou would end up shooting the legs of the unlucky Filipino instead.

"He'll be fine." Rapisura replied in a accented Japanese as he holds tightly into his M16.

"But that thing looks a bit heavy than what they're typically using," Fukiyose complained, "In fact, it looks plainly dilapidated."

"Sure it looks old but when used correctly…" Fujima interjected, "It still deadly, maybe even deadlier than an M16-based platform."

Replacing the venerable M1 Garand in 1959, the M14 battle rifle is a US-designed rifle that fires the heavier full-battle 7.62×51mm NATO ammunition. It was first deployed in the Vietnam War, where, despite its length and weight being a bane in a jungle-based warfare, the power of the 7.62 NATO cartridge allowed it to penetrate cover quite well and reach out to extended range and despite its replacement by the M16, some few troops preferred the heavier battle rifle over the early XM16 and M16A1 assault rifles in Vietnam.

"And if memory serves me right, it's still doing a good job ridding Communists and Islamists in the Philippines," Kurata added, "Don't be fooled by the looks and age of the gun. There's a reason that thing is still in service today."

"It would be interesting if Kami-yan would lose all his nerves in trying to hit his target. It seemed that the balloons are too close to that poor guy and the distance is even far," Tsuchimikado commented.

"Don't worry. He would hit his target." Tanaka said aloud, confident that their team leader would be able to hit his target.

Suddenly, they heard the first shot from the M14 ripped in the air. In a few seconds, everyone froze as Kamijou had just pressed the trigger. They then glance to see if the Filipino man is still standing.

They were relieved to see that the first balloon was hit cleanly.

They then held all their breaths as Kamijou prepares to take a second shot. _This is even more mentally draining than taking a written examination. _Fukiyose can feel the tension in the air as everyone's gazes were nailed towards the boy, who was prepared to make the shot.

And then he pressed the trigger and by some instinct, everyone's necks twisted 90 degrees towards the Filipino, who still had that calm expression in his face.

And the last balloon exploded, without hitting the torso of the Filipino.

"Hooyah!" All the SFG operators cheered for their dear leader, who was all smiles as he hands back the M14 rifle to its real owner. "That was nerve-wracking, to be honest," he sighed as he walks back to the sidelines as the other men decided to have their turn with the Confidence Firing test, "Now, I know why these Filipino guys are really good as advertised."

"But you're good too," Himegami complimented him.

"In fact, you should be proud of yourself," Fukiyose added.

"What a lucky shot…" Yomikawa muttered to herself as she was still bitter about the events if yesterday.

Kamijou just chuckled as he then stretches his arms, "I just kept practicing until I was able to finally hit my targets. And speaking of that," He then checked his men, who are busy taking their turns in the target firing, "It looks like that we still have to finish our activities for today."

For the rest of the day, the two foreign contingent had made themselves accustomed with one another. The JSDF and their SFG elite group exchanged notes and discussions with their Filipino counterparts. At one point, Kamijou and one private from the Philippine Army talked in broken English on how to handle an M60 machine gun and they had a test in the firing range where they the young man was quite clumsy with the weapon as this particular type of weapon isn't fielded or even studied in their course classes. The others also swapped weapons for the day and at one point, Kurata test-fired an M79 grenade launcher which he commented as a handy weapon in times of needed firepower.

Aside from the official exchange, they had a series of sports events in their barracks where they played basketball and soccer as part of their activity for the day. It was in the basketball game that Kamijou found out that in terms of running speed, Rapisura was faster at this point than the time he was in the NDA. "He must have gotten better when he got engaged in combat in their jungles." He said to himself.

But aside from the usual participants, the two contingent also invited the Anti-Skill and medical staff of Academy City to their fun activities as a way of getting to getting themselves comfortable with the presence of one. The people from Academy City gladly accepted it and not surprisingly, the Anti-Skill personnel decided to try out the equipment of the Philippine Army and despite the fact that the men in blue had derided much of the Filipinos' equipment as too worn-out, they soon found out that that might not be the case.

Case in point: Tessou Tsuzuri and the M14 battle rifle of one of the few Philippine Army Scout Rangers present.

"Yo-Yomikawa-sensei, this rifle is too heavy!" The timid lady complained after she missed all of her targets. For someone who got used in the lighter SIG assault rifle, firing a 7.62 battle rifle with a powerful recoil must have been a shock for the glasses-wearing lady, who felt her shoulder began to ache.

"Tessour Tsuzuri! You're an Anti-Skill and a Academy City denizen!" The blue-haired Yomikawa looked a bit irritated for this day, "You're letting this men think that you're weak?! Show them our strength!"

"_Pare, mukhang di tatagal iyan. _(Bruh, looks like she won't last.)" One of the Filipinos made a comment but in a way that the Japanese won't understand.

"_Pero maganda siya!_ (But she's pretty!)" Another Filipino made a comment followed by a whistle which fortunately wasn't heard by Yomikawa or Tessou.

"_Tarantado, manahimik nga kayo dyan! Mapahamak pa tayo kay CO! _(You fools, shut it! We might get in trouble with our commanding officer!)" Another one who is wearing slippers instead of combat boots chided his two countrymen.

Amidst all of this, Othinus, who was savoring the rare moment of watching the Japanese and the Filipinos drill with one another, smirked as she realized that the newly-arrived Filipinos weren't pushovers at all, "Seems like you made interesting allies, human."

* * *

Lately, Kumokawa Seria has been experiencing sleepless nights.

The former senpai of a certain Level 0 is now working in an official basis at the office of Academy City's Board of Directors and it has been two years since the graduation of the batch that she loves to run onto although is she would be asked, this meant having a showdown with that batch's Iron Wall Girl. _How fun those memories are! _She once said.

But this day, she was just about to prepare to go to work after having another bout of insomnia, which she blamed on the fact that she was the one tasked to oversee a construction of a self-sufficient refugee town which is a project wholly funded by Academy City not only as a humanitarian aid but also as a way to project itself around the world and to reinforce its prestige that was severely damaged some years back.

"If only I had my cute little kouhai to play with…" She groaned as she then remembered that the last time that she had seen that kouhai of hers was almost….four or five years ago? She cannot remember the exact amount but the last time she had seen him, he was barely given a pass to graduate in high school and that boy was all smiles as he takes his graduation photo.

The moment she had entered her office, she rubbed off the dust in her black pencil skirt and her red office polo as her high heels click off the tiles of the place. After getting herself dusted off, she then walked rapidly towards the elevator in hopes of catching up into the batch of people about to go to their respective destinations, which she fortunately did.

When she finally reached her small office, she was greeted by her male colleague, who then presented to her some piles of documents.

"Kumokawa-san, the papers," The man smiled as she lays down the papers in front of the exasperated Beauty Senpai, who cringed at the sight of the thick compilation, "Oyafune-san wanted you to sign these documents before you can fly to the Middle East with me."

"With her?" Kumokawa raised her eyebrows.

"Yes," The man sighed as he knew that the young woman in front of her preferred working alone if possible, "The thing is, that refugee town is her brainchild in the recent meeting between the 12 directors and the Superintendent."

"And _he _accepted this?" Kumokawa raised her eyebrows, knowing that the particular person in question isn't one to agree with charity-related works.

"More like, he agreed so that he won't be pestered anymore," The man replied as he takes a seat while mixing some coffee drink, "By the way, is there news about Yomikawa-san and the Anti-Skill security force that we sent there as well as the medical staff?"

"We would be there to check their status but as far as I'm concerned, they're safe ever since that incident which some of our nurses, including one of my former bratty _kouhais_, were kidnapped and it forced the Anti-Skill personnel to raise their before the Israelis takes action," Kumokawa then sipped her coffee, "But apparently, the shock force of the JSDF which is stationed their apparently got their distress call and managed to rescue them the same day. In fact, I'm impressed at the fact that their special forces managed to do it cleanly and without any political consequences."

"That's right…" The man trailed off as he sipped his coffee. There was a momentary silence in the office as the pretty young woman was busy signing the papers. Then after like five minutes, the man opened his mouth again, "That reminds me…there was a certain rumor circulating around this office about the Japan's Special Forces Group."

"And what would that be?" Kumokawa didn't even raise her head, implying that she isn't even interested.

"That the SFG's urban battalion that was sent to Israel was apparently led by a former student of Academy City…"

That was all it took for Kumokawa to stop signing the papers and looked at the man with raised eyebrows, "What? You're saying that that particular commander was from Academy City?" She resisted the urge to laugh, "I think I should remind you that just mentioning the word "JSDF" among the general population in Academy City is a taboo and in fact, there was a general protest four years ago…"

"Well, not to be rude but that was what my colleague who was assigned there had said when I asked him about that particular rumor…" The young man insisted, "Of course, I'm not even in Israel so I don't know if it's just a bluff but from what I heard, his sniping ability is particularly respected and feared at the same time. Oh…and from what my colleague said, he looks like that student from that certain high school of yours…"

"Oh…" Kumokawa can only utter that word as she learned that this particular man could be from her former high school. Suddenly , she then suppressed those thoughts of hers as she knew it was only a rumor. _It can't be my cute kouhai, right? As far as I know, he also joined the protests four years back so I doubt that he would even join the JSDF organization. Oh well…_

She then poured more coffee into her cup as she had just finished signing her papers.

_I'll just meet this man when I get there with Oyafune-san. At the very least, his mysterious identity alone intrigues me._

* * *

The fall of the night in Kiryat Shmona has once again come, followed by the blanket of powdered pale stars lighting up the whole area and giving mountaineers and the sailors in the lands of the Maori and the Amazon people their directions to their destined paths.

It was a festive mood once again at the inn where the medical staff from Academy City is staying and at this point, they were all cooking not only meat cuisines but also other dishes that is now being prepared by the Filipinos, who are using the kitchen at the inn to cook for everyone who is present. For Yomikawa Aiho and the rest of her fellow officers, it was another tiring day which was further added with salt to their injury by the fact that Tessou Tsuzuri messed up their mini-competition when she found the M14 battle rifle too heavy for her size and she ended up hitting an army truck instead, the bullet narrowly missing a Filipino driver who was sleeping in the driver's seat.

Nevertheless, the rest of the people enjoyed it and by now, Fukiyose and her fellow nurses as well as their former physical education teacher is already seated on the round table while they were cooking another set of Yakiniku. If there is anything different with this set-up last night, it was the fact that Tsuchimikado and Aogami are now fighting over who had the type of console that is the best.

"Dammit, Aogami! This console with skinny women are the best!"

"Shut up, Tsuchimikado! This one is the best! It has cute gals!"

"I know! Let's ask Kami-yan which is the best…"

"Moron. He would just shoot your two consoles with his pistol of his," Fukiyose sighed as he look at the particular spot where Kamijou's SFGs and Rapisura's Philippine contingent is staying, "And besides, he's busy entertaining the Filipinos in their first night."

"Which reminds me…" Yomikawa then took a glance at the Iron Wall Girl and asked something, "What's your first impression on those two friends of his as well as that Rapisura guy? For me, they look nothing more than troublemakers."

"But sensei, they're at least decent in nature…or at least well-mannered since I can't say decent when they have that guy who eats using his hands," Fukiyose felt disgusted as the image of Rapisura eating with his bare hands remained ingrained in her health-conscious mind.

"Seiri, I don't think you should say things like that," Himegami squeaked, "And what are they doing? They seemed to be in a singing session."

Well, to be frank, they were in a singing session, albeit the first song is actually a Filipino Gospel music.

"_Panginoon, turuan mo akong maging bukas palad…Turuan mo akong maglingkod sa inyo _(Lord, teach me to become open…teach me to serve you…)," Julian Robles, the same man who borrowed his M14 to Kamijou and Tessou, was singing in high spirits as he was strumming his guitar. Surrounding him is his fellow Filipinos and the SFG operators, who are listening to him sing despite nearly not understanding the meaning of the Gospel song. "_Na magbigay ng ayon sa nararapat…Na walang hinihintay mula sa 'Yo_ (To give according to what si due…without asking any favors from You…)."

"Rapisura, what's with that beads on his the barrel of his rifle?" Kamijou noticed something strange as he spotted something peculiar in the M14 rifle slung behind his back.

"It's a Catholic Rosary, bruh. It's a sign of peace and reverence for us Christians." The burly guy replied as rests his chin on the buttstock of his M16 rifle that was pointed downwards.

_Somehow, that's a bit ironic. _Kamijou thought.

"_Na makibakang 'si inaalintana…Mga hirap na dinaranas_…_Sa tuwina'y magsumikap na…Hindi humanap…Ng kapalit ng kaginhawaan…Na 'di naghihintay…Kundi ang aking mabatid…Na ang loob Mo'y…Siyang sinusundan…"_

"What do those lyric means?" Kurata asked in slight curiosity.

"In a figurative way, it simply means that we do anything according to God's will…even if it means death…" Rapisura replied.

"You guys really love professing your faith." Tanaka replied, somehow impressed at the Filipinos' boldness to display their loyalty to Christianity.

"I was raised that way, ya know." The Filipino replied.

After the gospel session of Robles, he then handed the guitar back to Rapisura, who decided to play some few songs on his own. It wasn't that long before the troops suddenly urged a sleepy Kamijou, who was nudged in his ribs by Tanaka, to sing a Filipino song as a challenge. "I don't want to do it!" He was flustered but because of the sheer determination of the mixed contingent and the fact that someone had already brought out a karaoke machine in their spot, the spiky haired young man had no choice but to give in to their request.

Since the area was an open one, Yomikawa and those in the table heard that he was going to sing and so, they decided to lend their ears for the boy.

After letting Rapisura choose some songs which Kamijou is actually familiar due to his interaction with the former in their NDA days, he then started to hum after inhaling deeply. "_Di maamin ng damdamin…Na ngayo'y wala ka na sa aking piling…_" Surprisingly, his voice is smooth while pronouncing the hard Filipino words that everyone, be it a medical or a military personnel, stopped in their tracks and turned their attention towards the young man. "_Araw araw ang dalangin…Ay mayakap kang muli at maangkin..._)"

"Did he just…" Tsuchimikado can't believe what he's hearing.

"Sang in a foreign language?!" Aogami shrieked.

Himegami's heart softened at hearing his soft voice.

Fukiyose's eyes turned into shapes of heart.

_Four years, huh? A lot of things can really happen in those four years of college. _Yomikawa sighed.

"_Ngunit pa'no nga ba ang pag-ibig mo magbabalik…Batid ko na nasaktan kita ng labis_…" Kamijou didn't realize that everyone was already staring at him with amazement, shock and surprisingly, anger (from his former male classmates at a certain high school). "_At sinabi ko sa o na kaya kong limutin ka…Bakit ngayo'y hinahanap kita..._"

Suddenly, everyone from the Filipinos put their arms towards their fellow countrymen and their Japanese counterparts and they all opened their mouths.

"_IKAW PA RIN ANG NAIS KO…DAMANG-DAMA NG PUSO KO!_" The Filipinos sang along with the Japanese young man, "_Mahirap na dayain ang isipa't damdamin…Ikaw pa rin ang hanap ko…Mapapatawad ba ako…Muli't muling sasambitin…Sinisigaw ng damdamin…Mahal pa rin kita, oh, giliw ko..._"

Before they knew it, Kamijou was finished in his karaoke challenge and he ran away from the karaoke machine and wailed against his two fellow SFG operators, "You guys! You were having much fun watching me suffer there, right?" He cried with crocodile tears, "You traitors…"

"Ah…sorry for selling you out like that," Fujima chuckled, "We're just curious to see you sing in a foreign language and as a team leader, you didn't disappoint us."

_I hate you all. _Kamijou mentally wailed.

After the karaoke session and the chants of "Death to the Kami-yan Bloodline" coming from the boys of the medical staff with Aogami as the ringleader, everyone settled down and started to eat their meal. In contrast to the people from Academy City, who had their own tables and are eating with chopsticks, the Filipinos and their Japanese counterparts are eating with their bare hands and although it felt awkward for Kamijou, who nevertheless complied and he washed his hands thoroughly before joining in the long table that contained mountain-loads of rice, roasted chicken, two roasted piglets, cooked vegetables, and fruits. This was a tradition in the Philippines, particularly in its military culture, where the meal is laid in the long table and everyone shared their meal while they used their hands in scooping up the food.

"We call this the Boodle Fight. It's a way we share food with the others," Rapisura replied.

"Sorry to interrupt you but it's more important to fill our stomachs right now," Kurata replied as he was waiting for the butler to give the signal to eat.

"_Ready to_ _left! Ready to the right!_" Finally, the signal was given, "_Commence boodle fight!_"

And at once, they all dug in as everyone hands was beginning to chisel out the rice while they all began to pluck out every piece of meat that they can grab.

After the dinner, every one of the men began to return to their barracks while the others are already cleaning up the table. Fukiyose and her company decided to return to their quarters while the rest are cleaning up the mess. Since it was already late in the evening, both of the contingent decided to resume their activities for the next day as everyone had already stowed their firearms away in a nearby armory while the assigned guards began to patrol in the outskirts and vicinity of the place. As Kamijou and the rest of the SFG and the regular JSDF moves out of the inn to return to their quarters, the young man asked to be excused as he wanted to be alone. Kurata nodded as the former hands him his M4 carbine and after that, he then went on his own way.

After some five minutes of walking alone, Kamijou found a spot where he can sit down and calm himself as he wanted to be alone for a few minutes. For someone who just got his bloody baptism not more than two days back, he needed to be alone for a while as it seemed that the recent events have been tearing him down.

_And heck, we haven't even captured that crazy ringleader that smuggles arms into the Middle East! _He groaned in his mind as he then looks up into the constellations while he thought of a lot of things.

He didn't know if he was just being played by his own mind but the stars seemed to formed images of a boat, an anchor and a horse.

"Am I getting PTSD now or it's just my fatigue?" Kamijou thought aloud.

"Idiot, you're not imagining. They're really star systems that form just like that."

Due to his fatigue, Kamijou didn't immediately detected the _familiar _voice as he was too drowned in his own thought but the moment he had snapped his neck while drawing out his .45 pistol in case this was an armed intruder, he was frozen in his spot as his pistol was aimed at the neck of the tall man, who just came into the scene.

"It's been a while, Kamijou Touma and can you seriously put down that pistol of yours? I don't bite in peace time."

This tall man stood taller than 190 cm and he was wearing dark priestly robes and a tattoo barcode in his face while he smoked a cigarette. Kamijou didn't need to see his red hair to see who this person is.

"St-Stiyl?! What the hell are you doing here?"

"To be honest, I don't want to be here. But I needed to be here to see you for an important message."

* * *

Somewhere in the north, a convoy of trucks was smoothly and peacefully threading the road.

"Dammit, Silver Sister, stop squishing me here!"

"Uwah! Short Hair, you're squishing me as well!"

"Oh my, can you two keep quiet? They might hear us."

In the driver's seat, the men behind the wheels thought he heard something, "Ah, must be the fatigue from driving all day long. I needed to rest when get back to the base."

* * *

"How's life, Kamijou Touma?"

"It's fine although I hope you didn't forget what happened seven years back."

"Idiot. That was the past. Today is an entirely different matter and by the way, good job in taking care of Index."

"Hnn. Not like I had a choice."

After leading the priest in a secluded spot, Kamijou Touma and Stiyl Magnus spoke as if yesterday was the time when the two first met. As the young man watched the priest light up another cigarette, he then scanned him from toe to head. _Yep, he still hasn't changed a bit. _

"So what is this thing that you wanted to talk about?" Kamijou didn't want to waste time and decided to ask right away.

"Oh yeah. Since I know you're still pissed off with even though it has been a long time ago, then I guess I should tell you now," Stiyl cleared his throat. "Have you and your fellow soldiers talked about arms smuggling in the Middle East?"

"What? How the hell did you know that?" Kamijou demanded.

"Idiot. Who do you think I am? A _dobe _like you?" Stiyl had the audacity to insult the young man, "Well, let's say where chasing the same person and I personally know who this person is."

"What do you mean?"

Stiyl then threw an envelope to the lap of the seated Kamijou and as the latter reads it, the priest began to speak, "Grandmaster Smith of the Masonic Lodge of London. He was also a former magical member of our organization and was the former interrogations chief of our branch. Unfortunately, due to some reasons related to money, he decided to betray Necessarius and form a smuggling business here in the Middle East and in Japan where he was once posted in Academy City."

Kamijou Touma read the file and looked up to the priest, "Hold on…this guy had a band of talisman-carrying bandits formed from splinter groups of the Hezbollah and Hamas?"

Stiyl nodded, "In terms of raw firepower, your SFG is capable of destroying them in a blink of an eye with all the firepower that you got but when they are shielded by their talismans, then you all have no means to fight them off without your right hand. By the way, their talismans are called the Black Iron because tradition says that they are made from fragmented pieces of the Black Stone that the Muslims revere as an Islamic relic. Further Muslim tradition even says that they are from the time of Adam and Eve."

"And what the hell can it do?"

"It might be just child's play for us sorcerers but it could be a source of concern for you," Stiyl Magnus replied, "Basically, it is said that it can turn your bullets into mud and your grenades into water. At this point, you'll have no choice but to work with me. Think of it as a mutual cooperation. You'll get to stop the smuggling operation and I'll get to execute the traitor in our ranks. Oh and before I forgot, keep out Academy City forces in this. You know what I mean in this."

Kamijou was silent before replying, "Okay, if that's what you meant, then I guess I can't really do anything," He sighed as he tucks his pistol, "It's not like I wanted to work with you as well but I wanted to finish this once and for all."

"The same goes for me." The priest continued. "By the way, I was just curious. I hate to pry but seeing you in a soldier outfit is a strange phenomenon. What made you decide to join the military?"

"It's a long story, Stiyl," The young man replied, "Not that I regret it but I rather forget the details that lead me to this organization."

"I see…" Stiyl lights up his fifth cigarette for the day before he began to speak again, "And Othinus, don't even try to hide in the chest right of Kamijou. I know you're there."

The former Magic God in question then snuck out of the magazine pouch and smirked, "Oh, and it's pretty good to see you after seven years, sorcerer and human, are you trying to go in a battle without me or perhaps, you are planning to lose?"

"Othin-chan, you do know that I have fifteen men plus six women under my command? I would be hold accountable for their deaths if anything bad happens," Kamijou frowned, "And besides, Stiyl would assist me in this fight."

"Bring me to your battlefield."

"Othinus, you're better off in sneaking to the hornet's nest to get off their talismans."

"Fine by me human since I can see that you have warriors by your side who knows how to fight, especially the new comers," Othinus seemed to held the Filipinos in high regard.

"They've had an insurgency problem since the 1960s. Of course they would know urban warfare." Kamijou shot back, "And on another note, I don't plan to drag Rapisura and the others in this one."

"Human, that is no fun at all."

After a few bickering that included the priest wanting to shut the young man up, the three decided to go back to the barracks, with Stiyl opting to sleep in the on the extra bed that Kamijou have. As they entered the military camp, Tanaka, who was guarding the gates for this night, nearly fired his carbine at the priest if it wasn't for Kamijou, who acted quick enough to pry down the rifle before explaining that he is a guest for that night.

_Who the hell is that weird guy? _Tanaka thought with a weird expression as he watches the two (or rather, three) go off on the barracks of the officers.

* * *

The next morning, Kamijou woke up to the sound of tired rumbling and engines roaring as his alarm clock strikes at 5 am. It must have been the logistics truck that came as they needed to have fresh supplies. Yawning as he slowly walked out of the room, Kamijou went outside of the room after briefly looking at Stiyl, who was still asleep. He then saw Fujima, still in his jogging pants, running outside of the barracks.

"What the hell is happening?" Kamijou asked as he yawned.

"The trucks have arrived. We needed to unload the needed supplied and the ammunition." Fujima replied briefly before he ran outside.

_Well, as the team leader, I guess I should take a look. _Kamijou then took out his M4 carbine and went out of the barracks.

The trucks are aligned as from the looks of the driver and the smoke coming from the hood, it seemed that it had undergo a 24-hour journey going into this place. But as the spiky haired boy was about to lend a hand in carrying the crater containing 5.56 ammunition and some STANAG magazines, he swore he heard a familiar voice that he knew it should belong to _her_.

"Touma!"

_Huh?! _Kamijou looked to where the voice came form but before he can even turn a glance, a blue of white suddenly passed him and in an instant, he got tackled down to the ground.

"Touma! I missed you so much!"

"I-Index?!"

Yes, the person in question was none other than Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the carrier of 103,000 magical books.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Kamijou pried off the nun before shaking her in the shoulder part, "And for record, how the hell did you got here by yourself?!"

"Eh…" Index looked at her partner with some hint of confusion, "But I didn't go here along…"

"What?!" Kamijou demanded, "And this is a military camp, for discussion's sake! You shouldn't be here!"

"Eh? But aren't you happy to see me?" Index tried to act cute.

"Not that but there is a war zone near this region," The spiky haired man wanted to strangle the English nun, "And it's not a joke when I say that terrorists can strike everywhere and anytime!"

"My dear prince…"

Hearing another soft voice, Kamijou turned to his right to see a blonde girl standing there and gaping at him like she knows him but she haven't seen him for the long time. _Great? Who the hell is this, now? _The young man can't help but feel something is very much familiar to her.

But most of all…

"Hey…"

_Oh no… _Kamijou froze as he turned to his left and standing there was a girl with brown hair and a backpack. She was also wearing a nursing suit similar to the ones being used by Fukiyose and her fellow nurses.

"Mi-Misaka-san?" Was all that he could mutter out of his mouth.

Misaka smiled sadistically as she ran ahead to beat the young man with her electric shocks, "YOU IDIOT!"

_I'm not going to like this day at all! _Kamijou wailed as he raised his right arm in an effort to defend himself.

_I won't really like it. _


	17. Repercussions

_Replies for reviews_

_Sleipnir – Yes. I hope you continue reading on._

_Tsun - Well…thanks for the compliment_

_Fortitude501 – That's a pretty hardcore review. Really thanks for that. Don't worry, she'll faced some consequences. Maybe not at this chapter…yet_

_Chris – Thanks for the review!_

_Guest(1) – Well, I read somewhere that court martials can actually apply to civilians though you might not see that happen in this fic._

_Bukkake – Thanks for the review!_

_Guest00 – Thanks. In fact, I have used that idea of yours so another thanks._

_21 – That's funny tbh._

_Anon Guest – Ah, another one that gave me an idea. Thanks lad._

_Toumanwick – As I read, court martials can apply to civilians in certain situations. And yeah, basically, Kamijou Touma here had undergone some changes in seven years. _

_Oneabovegod – Amusing haha. Thanks for the review._

_Fencer29 – Except to be frank, it would be hard for Misaka to bring him back at this point._

_Guest1(2) – I was definitely amused by this._

_Guest(3) – 1) Accelerator had now t so he wouldn't let this past now like before. 2) Just finds out. 3) Well, he's not anymore working for Academy City at this point_

_Rajarshi Sarkar – Yes indeed._

_SciFi Maker – Saten and Uiharu wouldn't see much action here—I think. Or maybe they would if I suddenly thought of it. _

_Just some few points, I actually took that whole usual trope from the canon series where Misaka always hits poor Kamijou-kun and well…I certainly didn't expect the feedbacks. _

_Well, I'm thankful nevertheless and advanced Merry Christmas. Let me sleep now before I can think of a next chapter._

* * *

Leading Private Takato Yoshinori hated waking up early in the morning, of all things.

_Another day, another duty. _He yawned as he knew that despite his complaint, he had come to terms with his new career and that he knew he is already old at 22, which meant that more responsibilities will only come and if he doesn't get used to what he is facing right now, only Kami-sama knows what could happen to him in the future.

The automatic grenade launcher specialist of the team with the codename "Hammer" took a light shower and afterwards, he was already donning his battle gear—that is, his chest rig and web gear only since he was still too lazy to wear his camouflage uniform and combat boots and official duty doesn't start until later. After checking the magazines of his M4 carbine, he then went out to check their Howa Type 96 automatic grenade launcher, which is their main source of firepower for their infantry other than the heavy weapons like the M2 heavy machine gun and their M249 SAWs, which are a bit cumbersome for one man to carry.

But as soon as Takato had already set out for the maintenance area, he suddenly heard a loud explosion that was followed by what looked like an earthquake-like phenomenon that sent him crashing down to the ground.

_What the hell was that?!_

As soon as he got back up to his feet, he then saw throngs of JSDF peacekeeping personnel, in their blue helmets, and a few of their SFG operators, still in their pajamas, shorts, and personal t-shirts, rushing to the area to where the explosion happened. Curious as to why his fellow special forces members were all _cocking _their M4 carbines, Takato decided to also go to the scene where the commotion is happening.

He didn't expect to see what happened.

"Let me go, you idiot!"

"No…"

"Let go of my right wrist!"

"I told you no because look what you did…"

"Argh!"

"Oi, Kurata, what the hell happened?" Takato asked a drowsy Kurata, still in his basketball shorts, demanded to know why their team captain was currently gripping the wrists of a certain brunette nurse-like girl.

"Ah, you see…that girl must have been an Esperfrom Academy City," Kurata then points to the three Army trucks of the Philippine Army, which ended up getting charred and burned by the electric shocks of the new comer, "Which is why three of the Filipinos' army trucks ended up in smithereens. And from the looks of it, it seemed that Kamijou knew that person."

"It's a good thing that they were able to bring out most, if not all, of the necessary ammunition and other supplies needed before that girl…started destroying everything," One of the SFG operators sighed, "Although I didn't know how he did it, team captain managed to stop that lady from further rampaging and damaging some equipment."

Suddenly, Misaka kicked the leg of Kamijou, who abruptly let her go, "You idiot! It's been four years!" She roared as she tried once again zap the boy but to her shock, his reflexes are twenty times much faster than the last time she saw him as he clasps his right hand into hers.

"Seriously, Misaka! Calm down damn it!" He began to lose every bit of patience he had, "Had I not cancelled out your power, some of my men would have used their guns on you."

"You! Having the guts to not even tell me or even let me know where you went, do you think this is accep—"

_Twack!_

Every SFG operator had already lowered their M4 carbines the moment Fujima decided to step in and before Misaka Mikoto can see it coming, the second-in-command had already karate-chopped her head like a hammer, causing a large bump to form hilariously in her head while her world darkened.

Shokuhou can only sigh as Index was poking the unconscious body of Misaka, who is still lying on the floor.

"Thanks for that, Fujima," Kamijou heaved a sigh as he then signals his men to lower down their guard, "Seriously, Index, can we have a little talk there?"

"Yes, Touma! But first, breakfast!" Index squealed in happiness, "We have travelled in those trucks and before we knew it, we have reached this place! Wow, Touma, the place is actually beautiful!"

_Guess that's the reason that they managed to reached here. _Kamijou sighed as slowly, everyone from the regular JGSDF force began to disperse out and went back to their post while some of the SFG operators are already coming back to their barracks to wear at least their proper pants.

"With that said, what the hell are we supposed to do with that?" Kurata pointed to one of the charred trucks, which is already being towed away by a recovery vehicle that they had to borrow from the IDF's armored corps that is stationed some few kilometers away from them, "Even if we say that you would sort out this, I doubt that the Filipinos would shut up about this one, especially that they lost some equipment from that crazy girl's lightning attacks."

"What are the components of the equipment that is destroyed by Misaka?" Kamijou asked.

"Some tons of ammunition and 105mm shells, assault rifles, miscellaneous equipment, goggles…well…" Fujima scratched his head as he didn't want to press any further, "At least, not everything was blasted in one blink."

"Yeah but still, you do know that either Japan or Academy City is going to pay it?" Kamijou sighed, "And seriously, 105mm shells? Why would they need some howitzers here?"

"Idiot. That's not the problem." Fujima snorted, "The problem is, this can be a bit hassle considering that girl had not only attacked you, the team commander of the Special Forces Group stationed here but she nearly assaulted the regular JSDF and worse, the Philippine Army troops staying here. I won't ask how you are related to her or how did you stop her attacks but had you not intervened…Rapisura-san or Robles-san would be forced to fire his gun on her…"

_Well, it's understandable… _Kamijou knew he had dodged a bullet there for Misaka literally and figuratively. _He had fought Communists before. For him, this situation is no different from the one in his home town. _

* * *

"The fucking hell!"

For Accelerator, nothing can make his day start badly than a complaint filed by another country that was sent to him.

The current Superintendent of Academy City nearly tore his hair the moment he had read an official report coming from the Philippines wherein one of their units stationed in the Middle East was attacked by one of their students.

And a fellow Level, nonetheless.

The white-haired first-rate Esper nearly wanted to destroy everything in his table moments after reading the report, "Brown hair…nursing scrub…lightning attacks…the hell!" The albino knew he couldn't be wrong, "What is that fucking third rate even doing there?! Was he following the first batch of the medical staff sent there or what?"

"I don't know. But this is serious," Oyafune Monaka, one of the 12 members of the city's Board of Directors, "It came already from a foreign contingent. If not resolved peacefully, she could drag the name of the city further into the mud."

"The report says that she had destroyed a number of equipment," Accelerator is now getting serious, "Let me read it for you, Oyafune…" He then began to announce it aloud.

**THE LIST OF EQUIPMENT PUT OUT OF COMMISSION**

**M16 assault rifles (25)**

**K3 SAW (10)**

**HE M51 A4 105mm**

**HE-AT M67 105mm**

**HC BE M84 105mm**

**BE M84 105mm**

**H M60 105mm**

**AN/PVS-7 NVD**

**AN/PVS-14**

"And there's a lot more to this list but I won't say it any longer, it's just giving me a headache," Accelerator grumbled, "By the way, I heard that Japan's JSDF was also there during the incident. Why the hell didn't they send a report?"

"That's because someone from the JSDF had already defused the commotion before further damage can be done and it could involve the whole Japanese contingent," For some reason, Oyafune had a smile as he hands the albino her phone containing a video, "In fact, the officer who had stopped her from getting more violent is someone both of you Level Fives knew personally."

Accelerator raised his eyebrows before he played the video in his hands. In a few minutes, his expression changed from a serious one to a surprised one as his eyes widened, "Oyafune, do tell me that this was edited? That fucking hero is too goody-goody to even join—"

"I know. I wish I could have wished it was edited myself," The old woman smiled sadly, "But apparently, he's serving on the other side, beyond the city's walls."

_So even he had changed a lot in like…six…seven years? _Accelerator thought for the moment before he then sighed, "Whatever. But I guess we had no choice but to pay or replace the equipment destroyed by that third rate. And speaking of her, I might talk to her soon. This is getting pretty out of hand in her part."

Oyafune nodded.

"Hnnn…to be honest, I'm getting pretty too edgy with this kind of stuff…" Accelerator looked at the window, "And then I got to face this issue…"

"I understand your concerns, Accelerator-san…"

* * *

Kamijou Touma knew this isn't going to be easy.

After the fiasco at their camp, the spiky haired young man was forced to convene a meeting at the inn where both Anti-Skill and Academy City's civilian staff is staying. Right now, he is seated in a round table with Fujima and Kawasaki both at his sides. Yomikawa and the four nurses (and former classmates of Kamijou) are seated on the other side while Index and Shokuhou took the vacant seats. Misaka crossed her arms and frowned as an ice bag was placed in her head.

"To be honest, this is the first time something like this happened," Kawasaki's pale face radiated the sunlight as she spoke, "With the kind of damage she had done, I don't think the Philippines will look past this incident."

"Well, it's not surprising, considering that most of the equipment destroyed are the expensive ammunition," The wielder of the Imagine Breaker replied, his face showing signs of weariness, "And to think this would be done by a fr—"

"Hey, at least, I didn't kill any people," Misaka argued, quite irritated that her day would start off like this, "Can you let go of me now? I mean, I only blasted—"

"Can you shut up for the moment?" Yomikawa interrupted Misaka as she had a stern voice, "First of all, what you blasted is another country's property and even if the Japanese government and Academy City would somehow 'write' it off, do you really think the other contingent involved would just shut up about it? Second of all, had Kamijou not intervened, you would have certainly maimed, if not killed, somebody. Third, attacking someone who is even your fellow Academy City student, albeit, a former one? That's a new low for a prodigy and a distinct Level Five like you."

"Okay, I get it! I get it!" Misaka said aloud, not appreciating that she is the one being grilled now, "But about that idiot over there, I don't think he minds th—"

_Twack!_

"Ouch! Hey! Stop punching my head!" Misaka growled at Fujima, who only sighed as he uses his enclosed fists to whack the scalp of the Railgun, "It hurts already!"

Suddenly, Kurata barges in and said promptly, "Sorry to interrupt your meeting here but Kamijou, someone needs to speak to you."

"And who might be that be?" Kamijou asked.

Kurata grimaced before replying, "It's Commander Hinata. He wants an update about our task."

_Oh, just how misfortunate I am. _Kamijou sighed as he then excused himself, "Excuse me, Yomikawa-sensei, everyone. I have to speak to our overall commander. It's an urgent message." He then promptly left with Kawasaki and the two other men as they quickly exited the room.

"What the hell was that?" Misaka demanded.

"My, my, Misaka-san. Calm down. I'm surprised to see you so hot-headed." Shokuhou whispered but the Railgun hear her anyway and the latter glared at the blonde, who quickly shut up.

"Yeah Short Hair…" Index tried to butt in but Misaka gazed at her with an angry face. Quickly, the English nun shut up her mouth.

_This is really going to be hard. _Yomikawa shook her head in irritation as she didn't expect this to happen. But before she can say something else, her phone rang and when she checked the caller's ID, she raised her eyebrows. _Accelerator? _

* * *

"Team Leader Kamijou Touma reporting!" Kamijou saluted in front of the laptop screen as he is now in his official camouflage uniform and his holster.

"_You may take a seat, Second Lieutenant Kamijou,_" Hinata Takenori's touch features didn't fail to put some hint of fear into Fujima's spine as the former was all business with the current commander of the SFG's 4th Platoon, "_Basically, the prime minister has been asking some update about the ring leader of materiel smuggling from Japan. Any news?_"

"Actually, I'm in contact with someone who had an idea where we can track down that syndicate but for now, I can't actually tell you for security purposes," Kamijou sadly confessed, "I'm sorry Commander Hinata but once plans to strike is finalized, then I can relay information back to Camp Narashino."

"_I see. Then do everything in your capacity to stop these meaningless activities._" Hinata nodded as he then continued, "_If you need assistance, then feel free to tell me. Actually, in addition to another aid and construction group coming from Academy City, the two other platoons from the SFG's 2__nd__ and 3__rd__ SFGp companies would be coming there to support your platoon stationed there. They would be commanded by Second Lieutenants Taoka Muto and Nobe Kazuma._"

"Eh? What's with the sudden increase of SFGp units?" Kamijou asked, bewildered.

"_They won't be sent there immediately, though. They're intended to secure the rehabilitation teams in Iraq._" Hinata clarified, "_But once I sensed that you're I trouble, I would send them there so as to not mother the police units of Anti-Skill to help us in something that is technically a military operation._"

"Roger, commander. Anything else?" Kamijou asked.

"_Well…I heard about that little incident there…_" Now, HInata's facial expressions crunched even further.

"Uh…well…you see…" Kamijou gulped as he should have realized that the entry of the Railgun into the scene would have reached their mother unit in Chiba, "She's someone from Academy City who happened to be a close friend of mine. She just…"

"_Close friend, huh? Kamijou, I'll tolerate this for once but I have to tell it right now: keep her out of the garrison of the whole JSDF there!_" Hinata roared in irritation, "_Did you even realize that our counterparts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and their Department of National Defense had sent a complaint to Academy City and to the Japanese government about the damages that Esper from that city has done?! We're lucky that the superintendent of Academy City is somewhat sensible enough to pay for all the damages. The 105mm howitzer shells alone costs a thousand dollars per round and that's just the basic shell. It won't be that easy to pay damages in just a week._"

"Okay, I get it, sir. But think about it, is a howitzer realty needed in their peacekeeping operation?" Kamijou asked, diverting the topic.

"_Considering that four years ago, they got in trouble with Islamist groups, you can't blame them to bring in more firepower._" Hinata explained, "_Well, that concludes our meeting, Second Lieutenant. If you need something that isn't personal, then feel free to call. I will meet with the Prime Minister. Meeting adjourned._" He salutes from the screen, to which Kamijou also salutes.

The moment that their somewhat icy meeting had ended, Kamijou sighed as Kawasaki smiled sweetly to him, "Kamijou-kun, that was pretty nasty, huh? Well, that's how boys are supposed to be. They got pride. And what do you mean that you already have an informant?"

"I have someone in my mind but for now, I can't tell yet. And it's not about pride. It's about keeping that darned Misaka out of this garrison since I don't want to be killed by Commander Hinata." Kamijou knew that he can cancel out Misaka's electric shocks by simply brandishing his right hand but against the wrath of the Special Forces Group's overall commander, not even Imagine Breaker can save his ass from getting busted, "Besides, it seems that Accelerator had done something quite amazing to prevent this incident from escalating."

"Accelerator? Who is that?" The pale beauty inquired.

"Uh…he's someone I know personally who is now Academy City's superintendent," The spiky haired young man replied, "It's been some years now but I suspect that he hasn't changed that much until now."

"Uh huh," Kurata nodded as the four of them was about to go outside the room, "By the way, I know this is a bit random but that girl in nursing uniform…"

"Misaka? Yeah, that's the one who launched that one-man raid? He's a close friend of mi—"

"No. Not her. I mean the one with brown eyes and large forehead," Kurata puts her hands in her chin, "Is it Fuki-something or what?"

"Ah, Fukiyose, you say? Yeah, she's a former classmate of mine from Academy City if you forgot it. Why? What's the problem?"

"It's just that…I just realized that she looks like Kawasaki-san from a long distance," Kurata chuckled as he scratches his head.

"Now that I think of it, Kurata's probably right," Fujima added, "Except with the longer hair and the pale skin of Kawasaki-san, she could pass off as a sibling of that former classmate of yours, if not a twin. And that best friend of hers…Himegami-san, right? She reminds me a lot of my mother when it comes to demeanor."

_Actually, Kawasaki remind me a lot of Sequenzia-san. _Kamijou mentally noted as Kurata looks at the truck containing the first batch of the regular JSDF infantry who would go off to a nearby refugee settlement far from where they are located. "By the way, what are those backhoes for? Is it for the planned refugee community that they are planning?"

"Yeah, it's something like a collaboration project between Japan and Academy City. The purpose to make a refugee community here in Kiryat Shmona is that it could help administer the ones who are feeling from war-torn areas like neighboring Syria," Fujima explained, "In fact, the blueprints shows that the planned community would look like a moshav or a kibbutz."

In Israeli terms, a moshav is a particular type of town or settlement that is centered in a cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second wave of Aliyah or the migration of Jews into the Holy Land. A kibbutz is similar and the two types of communities had been a factor in shaping Israel into what it is today.

"A settlement community, huh? That sounds good," Kamijou shrugged and then suddenly, he remembered something else, "Oh, uh, you guys go ahead to the target range. I had to attend something personal."

"Yeah. Sure. We'll see you there." Kurata waved his hands as their team leader storms off immediately and races back to his room. Reentering his barracks, he saw Stiyl and Othinus playing chess although it looks kinda weird considering that the latter's size is almost the same as the chess pieces, a fact that the former Magic God had lamented.

"So you're back, Kamijou," The Necessarius priest yawned as if he was bored of waiting for him, "Any updates to our mission?"

"Nothing much. In fact, it looks like you would be valuable to us, no matter how loathsome it is," The young man sighed as he sat in the bed.

"Of course," Stiyl replied with a smug as he lights another cigarette.

"And human you wouldn't go to the battlefield without me? You'll need my wisdom to be able to fight to the death," Othinus smirked as she pushes her rook.

"Of course, Othi-chan, I would need you there," Kamijou sarcastically replied as he rolled her eyes, "Oh and by the way, Index and the two other arrived."

Stiyl looked at him like he was about to murder him for good before he sighed and said, "Great. It seems that no matter where you go, they'll be able to find you."

Kamijou snorted as he picked up his M4 assault rifle, "Actually, it's all Misaka's brainchild and all. Index wouldn't be able to find me here even if she wants to and I doubt she can do it alone without the help of Misaka. And considering the possibility that it's her, then I'm not surprise. I'm just wondering what happened that made her go here—in a warzone nonetheless."

"Perhaps, she still sees you as someone who is still in high school?" Stiyl offered, not exactly insulting him although the priest still viewed him as the immature one.

"I don't know. Maybe she hasn't gotten over the fact that I joined an organization that we used to protest on," Kamijou explains, "You see…"

* * *

_**Five years ago**_

"_Class, that concludes our lesson for today," Komoe smiled as she glances back at her class, "Kamijou-chan, since you have failed grades, you're supposed to have a supplementary lessons but since you would be lacking in time, I supposed that signing a petition would help."_

"_Ah, fine," Kamijou sighed as he slumped in his seat, "What is the petition for?"_

_Komoe Tsukuyomi pulled out a sheet of paper and shoved it into the table of the spiky haired boy, "Recently, some high schools here in Academy City are preparing to protest the recent plans of the Japanese government to amend the Constitution that guarantees Japan's Self Defense Forces the right to fight abroad."_

"_Okay? That what's the problem?" Kamijou asked._

"_You really don't get it, you doofus," Fukiyose sighed angrily and she decided to explain it for the boy, "That would mean that war is inevitable if Japan does amend its Constitution. Besides, Academy City wouldn't allow that to happen and we should be thankful that the city is protecting us."_

"_Protecting us? Yeah, right." Kamijou whispered to himself, "But if I sign this, then I have a passing grade, right?"_

"_Not really, Kamijou-chan. Once you signed a petition, you'll have to join the peaceful demonstration. Think of it as an extracurricular activity," Komoe smiled, "Oh, and for your information, Tokiwadai has taken a lead in the ongoing protest. In fact, I heard that Misaka-san was the one who gave the speech that day and the copy you have right now came from her." _

"_Okay. But really, do I have to do this? I don't wanna do it. It's too much of a hassle. Besides, Index is—"_

"_Seriously, stop complaining!" Fukiyose roared as she pinched the ear of the boy very violently, "You should be thankful that that's the only thing you had to do to pass!"_

"_Besides, Kamijou-chan, listen to what your history teacher tells you about Japan's war time past," Komoe said in pure concern, "Japan suffered so much because of its military system. In fact, if I'm the one who'll be followed, I would have replaced the whole JSDF with the Anti-Skill force. Our police unit does everything according to the law…"_

"_Okay…Okay…I get it…"_

* * *

"And that must have been the reason why they are surprised when they learned that I had joined the JSDF," Kamijou had just finished telling a part of his story as he also finished reloading his rifle.

"And the special forces, of all units," Stiyl added lamely, "It seems that everything goes up against you."

"Well, I don't regret being here, to be honest," Kamijou smiled as he stood up, "In fact, I was happy that I landed in the SFG. Oh well, I have to go out for now. You two are staying here?"

"Pretty much, human although I would like to know how are we supposed to eat lunch," Othinus inquired.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of that." And with that, Kamijou Touma went outside, clutching his M4 carbine.

* * *

"Seriously, you can't do that!"

"Well, I'm the superintendent right now so you have no choice…"

"Don't go abusing your position like that!"

At the moment, Misaka is in a heated conversation with Accelerator on phone as Index and Shokuhou eat breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, fried rice, and bacons. A while ago, the raging Level Five Railgun had finally calmed down somehow after being in a meeting with the boy she sought to take back to Academy City but the moment he exited, she was ready to explode again had Yomikawa not took over as she then gives her a phone with which she used to speak with the first-ranked Level Five and the moment she heard the name of the caller, Misaka already knew that the news she will hear wouldn't be a good one.

"First and foremost, I don't want to hear that from someone who used her stupid electric shocks to raid a Japanese garrison," Accelerator roared. It was like arguing with a toddler and he hated them. She really had no patience with children maybe except for Last Order. "Second, do you know what kind of demands that the Philippine government asked in exchange for not any more pressing this one into a riskier issue? They demanded payment twice of what you had damaged in their equipment. They're literally war equipment, mind you, third rate. Thankfully, the treasury was grudgingly ready to meet their demands before the incident can break out into news outlets. Third, for the tenth time, I'm ordering you to go home before you do something foolish."

"I'm telling you I'm not going home until I could bring him back to Academy City, far away from this dangerous place," Misaka was stubborn, "Do you even realize how perilous his situation is right now? As a close friend of his, I—"

"And what? You think bringing him back will do him good?" Accelerator replied, now irritated, "For fuck's sake, just come home so that there won't be any more repercussions."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Seriously, no reply?" Accelerator was amused, "Seriously, third rate, are you really that too goody-goody that you believe that you can bring him back?"

"What are you saying, Accelerator? I'm pretty sure that her would—" Misaka tried to explain her side.

"What? That he would just heed your word and come back?" The albino somewhat chuckled from the phone call, "Idiot, what are you trying to prove by bringing him back to Academy City? That he would be better off as a nameless Level 0?"

"What are you saying? I can't have him die…"

"I don't think you even understood what I'm trying to say, third rate," Accelerator decided to just be straight with her, "What I'm saying is that you can't just force him to leave where he believes he truly belongs to. It's been four or five years since we both last saw him and do you even think he would want to come back here, where he had no future?"

Misaka's eyes widened at the current words of the albino.

"I won't just say anything further if you would be that stubborn. Since the incident has been resolved with a hefty price, then I would have to leave you there for once, third rate," Accelerator sighed, having a feeling that it would just lead to this, "But the two things: I would be the one who'll personally drag you back here if I heard another incident happen and you would still be punished."

"Oh and what would that be?" Misaka asked haughtily.

"Dumbass. In addition to the report that I sent to your university, once you arrived back here whether you do manage to bring the hero back or not, you'll be immediately slapped with a two-month community service and…" The Railgun swore that she can feel the evil grin form in the lips of the albino, "…you are officially banned for one year from entering the stores that sell those stupid frog toys."

Misaka's mouth hilariously hung the moment she heard the verdict but even before she can protest further, the phone hung up.

_That Accelerator! _She angrily thought before she heaved a sigh and just looked at her food. Shokuhou looked at her expression with some hint of concern and said, "Hey, Misaka-san you looked sad? Did Accelerator-san said something that is particularly worrisome?"

"Nothing. It's just that…" Misaka trailed off as she looks at the window where she can see the plains of Tiberias which is actually quite far from Kiryat Shmona, "You know…the feeling of sentimentality. I just wanted to go back to what it's like in the past. That is…hanging out with my friends…meeting that idiot always and having a chat with him…the time where I was a former Tokiwadai ace. I just wanted everything to stay as always."

"So that's why you wanted to bring back Kamijou-san?" Shokuhou felt she wanted to sympathize with the brunette, "To be honest with you, I also wanted that but thinking about it, would it be possible? I mean, everyone grows up. Even my prince grew up and had to take a job somewhere. I mean is…everything changes."

"Well, not everything changes," Misaka argued, "My friendship with Kuroko never changed at all. Komoe-sensei is still the same. I mean, Academy City has been always a good place with full of memories despite what happened in the past…"

"I understand, Misaka-san but at the same time, not everyone gets the same treatment like you in Academy City. Sure, you have good memories in that place but we can't say for certain if it's the same for Kamijou-san," Shokuhou explained, "I'm sure he also appreciated you and everything in the city but sometimes, life might just have a different plan for him. And it worked out in his case."

There was silence hanging between the two Level 5s as Index simply kept eating.

_I made up my mind. _Misaka bit her lip. _I'm already here. I would have just to convince him come back with us. _

* * *

Kumokawa Seria sat in her air plane seat as she waited for the others to join in the trip.

"This would be my first time to go to Israel, huh?" She sighed as she watched Oyafune Monaka catch up to her seat. She heard that she had to go to the office first as something happened in the place where she would find herself supervising a settlement construction. _Whatever that is, I don't care anymore. I just want to finish this already. _She sighed as she watched other prominent people enter the plane.

It was already early in the morning at nearly 2 a.m. and she wondered why they had to leave this early.

_I do heard that this ride will include prominent people from both Academy City and Japan. _She amused as she saw the vice mayor of Osaka City board in. In her dilly-dallying, she didn't notice an old man sat beside her.

"Good morning, young lady…" He smiled as Kumokawa almost jumped in fright at his sudden appearance. "I think I would be seating beside you…"

"Ah…I see. So this is your designated seat, sir?" The former Beauty Senpai of a certain high school exclaimed.

"I believe so. The ticket that was given to me directed me here," Strangely, the old man smiled like they were friends as he took a seat.

In less than a few minutes, the plane had already taken off and right now, everything was quiet. That was until…

"So, sir, where did you come from, exactly?" Kumokawa asked the old man just to ward off the awkward atmosphere.

"From Okinawa originally but I have lived in Tokyo ever since," The old man replied, "Where did you come from, pretty lady?"

"Academy City," Kumokawa curtly replied, "By the way, we would be going to a refugee camp in Israel. Do you want me you accompany you?"

"No need. I'm still strong enough to meet the JSDF there," The old man smiled again, "By the way, you never told me your name."

"Ah, I'm sorry for that. I'm Kumokawa Seria. And you?"

The old man fixed his tie before replying, "I'm Kikuchi Kouji, a former World War II soldier."


	18. Realizations and Surprise Meetings

_Replies for Reviews_

_Tsun – I don't know if Saten and Uiharu can make an appearance and I don't want to promise that, if anything._

_Guest00 – Yeah, thanks for that omake. _

_Whwsms – Wise words, author-san. You have the wisest words. And thanks for the review. Yeah, I'll keep that in mind. _

_Anon Guest – Thanks!_

_Bukkake – Thanks for the review!_

_21 – In due time, reviewer-san. _

_Mr. X – 1) Ok 2) Sorry for the mistake. Just a human, after all with English not being a first language. 3) I don't know. Maybe in the future chapters, I guess (?)_

_Fencer29 – Yeah, Takato would have been in his undershirt but it can work either way. Thanks for the review._

_Sleipnir – Multiple arcs? I don't know yet._

* * *

In the skies of the Iraqi air space, two Mitsubishi F-2 "Viper Zero" fighter planes from the Japan Air Self Defense Force's 8th Air Wing of the Western Air Defense Force that was based in Kasuga City, Fukuoka Prefecture are seen zooming while making a low level flight between two rocky valleys.

"Present altitude is 11,000 feet…" Lieutenant Kitamura Chiaki blared to though the other pilot through his small speaking device, "Ten minutes into the border…speed is 280 knots…turn left now…"

The two Viper Zeroes then swerved to the left as the noise coming from the turning of the two planes quickly pierced into the air like a knife cutting through a butter. As the two planes were on their way into their base, which is under US-supervised zone in the border near Jordan, Lieutenant Ishikawa Seijuro, who is piloting the other plane, huffed a sigh as he peek in another rocky mountain just below them.

A derivative from the General Dynamics F-16's Agile Falcon plane, the F-2 multirole fighter was both manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin for the JASDF, with a 60/40 split in manufacturing between Japan and the United States. Interestingly, the first active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar on a combat aircraft was the J/APG-1 introduced on the Mitsubishi F-2 in 1995 while the nickname "Viper Zero" was a reference to the F-16's semi-official nickname of "Viper" and the Mitsubishi A6M Zero.

"We've been doing this since we've been deployed here by the JASDF's high command," Ishikawa complained as he grips the sidestick controller, "I wish we can dive into action immediately…"

"Be careful for what you wish for, idiot," Kitamura chided him, "Besides, this is part of Japan's effort to involve itself in international matters, whether we like it or not. Just think this as a way to support the ground forces that are in Israel today. In fact, one of the SFG units that is deployed there is none other than our batchmate…"

Ever since Japan had amended its constitution in face of international pressure not to do so, it has been actively converting the whole SDF from a purely defensive-minded force of technically civilian personnel to a full-fledged armed force capable of projecting power beyond its shores. Evidence of this is the fact that Japan had restarted full-swing production of both the F-2 and its more powerful plane in its arsenal, the Mitsubishi F-15J fighter jet—a derivative of the Boeing F-15C plane.

Sending them beyond Japan's borders justifies the restart of production by Japan's fighter het manufacturer.

"Ah…why didn't they send the Eagles then?" Ishikawa asked, referring to the other plane they have on the JASDF's arsenal, "Wouldn't it be more logical then to send the F-15 since it had those drop tanks and CFTs? They can go further than these Vipers that we are piloting?"

"Probably because they're the frontline of Japan's air self-defense," Kitamura replied, "In fact, let's be happy that Japan decided to use these planes for our reconnaissance mission here in Iraq. Using the older F-4 Phantoms is a much worse case. They're slated to be retired in…two or five years, I think…"

The silence between then then prevailed as they were nearing their forward base while the only noise coming from the sonic boom from the fighter planes. But as they were just thousands of feet away from the runway, Ishikawa began to speak again.

"So…why have you chosen to be in the JASDF?" Ishikawa asked in genuine curiosity, "When we're in the NDA, you've wanted to be in the SFG…you know…just like _him_ and the other two…"

"So you don't know, huh? Well, it's just like you to either forget or simply be ignorant," Kitamura mocked the other pilot, "I was supposed to be slated to join the advanced training course for the SFG until _you _made the mistake of pushing me down in the hill in one of our obstacle course classes back then, automatically dropping me out of the SFG course because of my injury. And you haven't even apologized to me!"

"Oh…sorry…" Ishikawa sheepishly apologized as he sweatdropped in his HOTAS helmet, "There. I apologized!"

"Hmmm…" Kitamura chuckled as he grips the literal joystick between his legs, "But it's not like I regret being here in the JASDF. In fact, I was glad the NDA assessment panel decided to assign me in our branch at the last minute. Through that, I was able to experience what it's like to fly a plane."

"Ah, me too…" Ishikawa smiled as he was able to finally sight the base through his sharp eyes, "Well, it looks like Commander Izuki won't kill us for being late, huh?"

"We got on time, Ishikawa…" Kitamura replied as slowly, their planes made touchdown in the runway and in a few minutes, they taxied the two F-2s into the hangar where it would be maintained and rearmed. As the two were stretching their legs while they watch the maintenance crew detach the AAM-3, AAM-4, the AIM-9 and the JDAM from the wings, Kitamura looked up into the sky and inhaled.

"About what I said about being happy here in the ASDF, I think it's not because we are safe to be here," The taller man stretched his arms, "It's because we're simply doing our part as the ones who are doing the dirty job in the air in as much as our counterparts in the JGSDF are doing their part fighting the battles in the ground."

"Hmmm…then how about Tokiwa-san and his crew from the navy?" Ishikawa asked, "Aren't they going to be deployed in the straits?"

"Doubt it but I hope it doesn't happen," Kitamura replied, "It's a different situation there…"

"Well…if only I can go to Israel and say "Goodluck!" to the JSDF and the SFG stationed there, I'd be glad to do so…"

Kitamura looked at Ishikawa with a blank and skeptical look, "You're only saying that because you're still hopelessly in love with Kawasaki…"

Ishikawa had a flustered face as he nearly staggered back in shock, "I-Idiot…you don't have to wound me with such terrible past…"

"Just give it up. You know Kawasaki-san had set her sights on _him_…"

"Him?"

"You don't know again? You're hopeless…" Kitamura sighed, "I'm talking about Kamijou, our batchmate. Well, it can't be helped. He's the ace of our class and, according to Kurata and the Flipino guy in our class, a total heartthrob. Remember our plebe days when men and women had to be separated in certain classes? It was said that he indirectly triggered it."

The tall man then removed his flak jacket designed for fighter pilots.

"But even so…his skill…" He whispered, partially to himself, "I don't think I can find someone here who can match up his sharpshooting touch. Perhaps, only the legendary veteran Kikuchi-sama or Yasuhara-san from the older batches can stand to him on equal grounds."

* * *

"Achoo!"

"What the hell, Kamijou?! Cover your nose! Your snot might land on my nursing uniform!"

"Seriously, Fukiyose….you don't have to be so mean…maybe someone was just talking about me somewhere…"

Kamijou Touma and Fukiyose Seiri were both walking side-by-side as the latter requested (or forced might be the correct term) the former to at least accompany her to the operating room, where the medical staff of Academy City would be conducting their surgeries and other health-related operations. As the sound of the backhoes can be heard in the background and other construction workers are beginning to polish those buildings that have been finished already, the boy can already envision that the whole refugee-coalition base would be in a hexagram pattern with the pointed sides constructed to look like an arrow spearhead.

"I can imagine that the whole base would look like the Star of David if one is to look from the sky," Kamijou spoke to Fukiyose, "Too Jewish if you ask me…"

"How do you even know it would be like that?" The Iron Wall Girl huffed skeptically, "Are you their engineer?"

"You don't need to be completely immersed in architectural or engineering classes to know it," The young man replied, "The shadows…the sun…plus the distance that we calculate when we fire mortar rounds or 155mm shells back in the National Defense Academy…we were taught to apply those concepts when modern gadgets don't work in extreme circumstances."

"Maybe I should stop trying to prove you wrong…" Fukiyose muttered to herself, feeling quite bad for trying to make him look bad.

"No you don't have too…" Kamijou smiled, making the Forehead Deluxe once again go wild in her imagination as her brain turns into slop, "I actually like it when you can come and talk to me, especially when you are in trouble…"

Fukiyose secretly blushed like a rose at Kamijou's sentence and his untactful way of saying it. As they both neared the operating room, which is part of a large three-story building built specifically for medical missions, Fukiyose sent a glare towards the large window that is exposing Tsuchimikado and Aogami, who were both cheering for Himegami without actually helping her extract what looked like mortar shrapnel from the feet of the Syrian man, who was moaning loudly in pain. She then realized that had Kamijou actually stuck with both his two friends, maybe he wouldn't grow up and mature like he was today. She'd deduced from the beginning that the boy she used to hate so much from their high school days would be taking a much different course but she completely didn't expect him to enter the military academy as his path to his present career. If anything, she expected him to take courses such as physical education or culinary arts although if one is to ask, the latter is actually one of the young man's "courses" in exchange for joining the Special Forces Group.

It pissed Fukiyose off that she wasn't able to even maintain cordial communications with the spiky haired man during their four years in college and in the military academy.

"Fukiyose?"

"W-What?" The young woman was taken aback from her fantasies.

"I noticed that you were talking with your superiors back in Academy City with slight worrisome features in your face," Kamijou told her, "I wish you smile like that often and not frown like a while ago. You're more…uh…what's the word…cute?"

It was taking all of her willpower not to lose steam in her reddening face as the Forehead Deluxe nearly slammed the face of the young man with her bare hands, "I-Idiot! Don't say that aloud! It's just about Misaka-san and her companion…"

Kamijou raised his eyebrows at hearing the name of the Railgun.

"Since she's here and because she was given only a warning for what happened in your camp," Fukiyose began to explain their situation, "The two of them would be our responsibility for now until our mission ends."

"Hah?" He can't believe what he is hearing, "Well, I supposed it shouldn't be bad except would it be fine for you all? I mean, you all had your hands full on your own responsibilities with Doctor Himuro and now, you're tasked to…"

"We'll be fine," The young woman replied, sliding back her hair as she puts in her hair pins, exposing her signature forehead, "We're used to it. Just one question though: Do all SFG guys really don't wear uniform like the regular JSDF peacekeeping unit stationed here?" She raised her eyes at the Qatar Foundation jersey that Kamijou wore along with his usual camouflage pants, combat boots, web gear and his signature M4 carbine that is rested in his stack of magazines.

"We got some plenty of leeway and since we're only needed in extreme cases like what happened to you, we didn't need to wear our top uniforms all the time although we have alternate scheduling about our dress code," Kamijou explains, not wanting to put his SFG unit in bad light, "By the way, we're here. Do you want me to go inside as well to accompany you?"

"There's no need. I'll have some duties to do as well so Aisa can take her rest," Fukiyose softly smiled, "And I need to discipline both Tsuchimikado and Aogami as well…"

"Uh…please don't kill them. They're still our former classmates…"

"I know. Hey, take care," Fukiyose's hair waved freely in the gust of the wind as she enters the entrance, "If you're free later, eat with me and Aisa. You can even ring those friends of yours from the SFG."

"Yeah. I'll think about it," Kamijou chuckled as she watched her silhouette disappear.

As the young man stood there like some kind of an idiot, the image of Fukiyose Seiri that was presented before his eyes somehow reminded him back of their high school memories, like it just all happened yesterday. _Now that I think of it, she largely changed a lot. Was it her physical attributes? Well, back in high school, she was already pretty for our teenage selves even is she lack that sex appeal but it seemed that she aged rather well and the same goes for Himegami. Was it the because it was already four years since she last punched me in the face and now, she mellowed pretty fast? Although I doubt that, since she said she needed to discipline both Tsuchimikado and Aogami…_

"Oh my, it seems high school lovers really do last pretty well…"

Kamijou almost had a heart attack as soon as he heard that pretty sickly sweet voice. He turned around and was aghast to find out who the person is.

It was Kawasaki Satsuki.

"Ka-Kawasaki-san, wh-what are you talking about?!" Kamijou stammered as he vehemently denied it, much to Kawasaki's amusement, "We don't share that kind of relationship! We're just former classmates who got stuck in the same section for three years. I—"

"Okay. Okay, no need to be defensive about your high school sweetheart, baby boy," Kawasaki said, much to the chagrin of her SFG commander, "I'm just here to tell you that Kikuchi-sama would be coming here."

This piece of news particularly surprised Kamijou, who lend all his ears to the slender Kawasaki.

"Since this kind of community of both refugees and the coalition of JSDF and Academy City's Anti-Skill is eventually shaping up faster than we expect, a group of delegates would come here to see the progress and Kikuchi-sama is confirmed to be one of them," Kawasaki's hair freely flowed in the blow of the wind, giving Kamijou the vibes similar to the one he experienced with Fukiyose earlier, "Wouldn't this be a perfect time to reunite with your mentor?"

"Yeah, I would love that," Kamijou smiled as he looks at the sights of his carbine, "In fact, he taught me everything I needed to survive this harsh Army life. Maybe I can look forward to meeting him."

"Everyone of us feels that way towards Kikuchi-sama," Kawasaki smiled and they both laughed cutely, "By the way, since the SFG operators had nothing to do for now since we have yet to plan on how to infiltrate the base of the arms smuggler somewhere in the West Bank and the peacekeeping duties is strictly the job of the regular JSDF units, the others are now playing chess and Kurata is playing the guitar with some of the Filipinos who stayed back."

"I see. So basically, it would be calm before storm," Kamijou replied, "Not that it's bad. We all need some rest at some point."

"And another thing," Kawasaki brought up another topic, "About that one-man attack by—what's her name…Misaka-san? I think she wanted to speak to you on something that I don't know. She asked me if you can meet her in the mess hall of the inn where the medical staff of Academy City is staying. I think it's something very important."

"I…I see…then I'll take this as the cue to leave, Kawasaki-san," Kamijou said as he began to move, "See you later, Kawasaki-san and please, don't get stressed out. You actually look good with your natural beauty."

"Don't fool me, baby boy. I've been a victim of that, many times…" Kawasaki nevertheless winked at him as they both parted ways. Kamijou then walked away as he found himelf retracing his steps to where the inn was located.

Ten minutes later, he found himself standing at the mess hall where he agreed to meet with the Railgun. It wasn't long when he entered the long hallway before he immediately spotted Misaka sitting in the table alone while sipping what looked like a vanilla milkshake. While not knowing what she wanted to talk about, he knew from the start that this wouldn't be a good topic so he had already prepared himself.

"Misaka-san…"

"Oi, you…"

Misaka motioned him to sit in one of the empty chairs. Nodding, Kamijou walked over and sat beside her, waiting for her to speak.

"Really?" The Railgun sighed as she puts down her drink, "You come here and you won't say anything to me at all?"

"Uhm…you called me here, Misaka so I think you should be the first to speak…" Kamijou didn't know it this was just some kind of a stupid prank and if it is, he might as well take his leave, "I had a lot of things to do as of the moment. Be quick or I'll leave if you don't have anything to say." Misaka regarded him as if he'd spoken another language, eyes bulging as her mouth parted.

"Why? You—you didn't have to choose a career like this!" Misaka roared as she slaps the table hard, Kamijou shrinking back at the raised volume. "Why wouldn't I be here when I know you're in danger?! Mom and dad wanted me to stay home so that I can have a peaceful and bright future but you…how could I not leave to be here?! I cannot let someone close to me just go and die off in a land faraway from where we have both grown and had enjoyed our high school lives!"

Kamijou can only blink in surprise as her outburst before he let out a sigh and said, "Misaka-san…you're overreacting a bit, no?

"I'm serious…" Misaka's whisper gradually becomes stronger as her fists clench in a mixed feeling of anger, sadness, and desperation, "I wanted to bring you back home, away from this war zone. Come home with me and just be a nurse like your classmates or just a cook in some fancy restaurants in Academy City. I—"

"Misaka…stop…"

"What?" The Railgun was taken aback as Kamijou raised his right hand as a sign for her to keep quiet. There was a deafening silence between the two as the young man can't help but fiddle with his M4 carbine that was resting silently in his stacks of magazines, as if serving as a witness and as an immovable judge between the girl's desperate pleas and the man's iron will. _Misaka, why are you doing this? You're hurting yourself even more in the process._

"Misaka-san…" Kamijou looked at her with a soft smile and warmth in his eyes, clearly taking the Railgun by surprise, "I appreciate your worry about me but…I think that's impossible. If you wanted to take me back home, you gotta electrocute me so hard that I won't be even able to use my legs for the rest of my life."

"Wha-What are you saying? Are you saying that you're just fine that you will die here?" Misaka challenged him.

"That's not what I'm aiming for," Kamijou replied, "What I'm saying is that we have all chosen different careers according to what we prefer and it's not like I don't know the risks of being in the JSDF and I'll admit, it was tough and terrible but as time passed, I learned to love my job." He then closed his eyes and thought for the next thing to say, "I think it's time for both of us to accept reality…"

There was another dead silence again as Misaka bowed down her head, not wanting to show her misty eyes.

"You…" She muttered, "Did you already forget that we used to join the protest against the JSDF? What about our times in high school? I wanted those to be back? You're even against violence when we were in high school…"

Kamijou blinked his eye as he finally realized what Misaka wanted to talk about. _Everyone is a slave to their younger selves._ _No matter how much you wish to move on and start a new life_, _the events of the past will drag down on you like the light of the stars as soon as you glance up. _The spiky haired man remembered a quote from rom-com anime that he had watched together with Kurata back in their NDA days. _Unable to laugh, cry or banish your past, you carry it ceaselessly in a corner of your heart, waiting for it to resurrect at an inopportune moment. Hnnn, unfortunately for me, Misaka would have a tough time understanding what I meant but…_

"Misaka…why…" Suddenly, Kamijou removed his rifle and laid it down on the table, "What are you trying to accomplish? What, you think you're doing me a favor by bringing me back to Academy City, to where I'm nothing but a Level 0?" Misaka's eyes were shuttering in their sockets, tears streaming down without her control. Kamijou's grip on his laid down rifle was tight and burning.

"I…I just want us to reverse everything back in the past…where we always ran against each other and have fun even if I zap you always…I…I…" Misaka's voice is cracking.

"I see…but then again, I don't think I'm in the wrong by choosing this path," Kamijou's voice became softer but his gaze was like that of a soldier ready to kill his enemies, "Do you think that zapping me or forcing me to come back to Academy City is going to bring everything back to how it was like? I'm sorry but that's not how it works, M-i-s-a-k-a…" Kamijou said in a somewhat somber mood as he looked away from the brunette, "We all grow up. We all even grew distant as time passes. It's a part of life and even you had no choice but to just deal with it," There was clattering going on outside the mess hall, voices sounding but the two ignored it. "What, you want us to go back to being what it's like in Academy City? Where you freely shock almost to the point of death?"

Kamijou's hand moved from the rifle to grip tightly at Misaka's left hand and he gave a winded wheeze. "Well, I'm sorry to tell you but it doesn't work like that. No matter how much you want it to happen, no matter how much you try, it isn't going back to those days, Misaka. You going here and zapping our Filipino counterparts' equipment isn't going to suddenly change my entire attitude about the JSDF." He then gave off what looked like a hurt emotion, "Who are you kidding with that naive mindset? It's just impossible, Misaka…"

In their deep conversation, Kamijou didn't notice Fujima Nobunaga was already there, looking like he wanted to convey a message to their team leader but he opted to just wait there as he noticed the atmosphere was too tense that it was choking him.

"Me somewhat changing had nothing to do with you, Misaka," Kamijou confessed, "I changed because I—I realized a lot of things when I was outside Academy City already, when I have to learn how to survive in an alien environment in the NDA. And I can tell you, it was my finest hour…"

"What?" It was only then that Misaka was able to open her mouth, "What do you—"

She wasn't able to finish her words as Kamijou suddenly stood up and patted her head.

"But even so, it's not like I forgotten you or those who mattered to me back in Academy City, like Tsuchimikado, Aogami, Fukiyose, Himegami, Dr. Heaven Canceller, etcetera, etcetera. It's just that I have a bigger responsibility today," Kamijou playfully scrubbed his hands in her head, "And that is to be able to safeguard Japan's security—that includes all of you. Because of that, I'm happy that I'm here in the JSDF."

To Misaka's shock, Kamijou stood down and hugged her tightly as he continued to pat her head with his right hand.

"I just regret that I joined the protests years back when in fact, we're all being brainwashed that the JSDF is a bad organization," Kamijou huffed, "But those are things that I cannot take back anymore. Whether I laugh, sulk or cry about it, the world would just keep spinning on. On hindsight, it means that we can always start one new thing after the past had ended, just like how we can make new memories after our years had gone by."

Misaka can only stare back at him with her mouth gaping in shock and surprise.

"Well, Misaka…" It was at this point that Kamijou had detached himself from the Railgun as he picks up his gun, "I need to go now. Fujima over there seemed to have something to talk to me about something. By the way, don't give your Fukiyose-senpai headache. I heard that from now on, you're her responsibility as both of you took nursing courses. Well, I gotta go…see you…"

"Wait!" Misaka suddenly took hold on his wrists, taking the young man by surprise, "If that's the case, then I won't stop you anymore. But…" She inhaled and exhaled, "Let me help you in your missions! I wanted to make sure you'll be getting out of it alive!"

Kamijou blinked and then suddenly, he chuckled a bit, "Oi, Fujima!" He called out to his fellow SFG operator, "Come here quick, someone needs karate chop in the head."

"What?! I—" Misaka wasn't able to finished her words as Fujima, swift as the wind, came and immediately chopped her scalp, "What was that for, you idiot?!"

"Shut up, brat!" Fujima shouted to her, "If Kamijou needs your help, then there's no point in us being here in the first place. We will be fine on our own and the same thing goes for him."

"Besides…" He gave him one last pat in the head, "You can help better by aiding the nurses of Academy City here. You took nursing, right? Then you'd be better off applying what you learned in their medical missions. Well, your scrubbing uniform is already dirty. Replace them." Kamijou then took this cure to leave with Fujima as he waved his hands, leaving a shocked and confused Misaka looking at her nursing uniform.

Some moments later, she was heard screaming in anger at the mere thought that the young man was insulted her own appearance.

"Kami-sama, you look like a pedophile," Fujima shrugged as they were heading back to their own garrison, "I thought you have confessed your feelings for her…"

"Idiot. First, Kawasaki-san is shipping me with Fukiyose and now, you're shipping me with Misaka? You're awful," Kamijou didn't know whether he should be annoyed or sorry for himself in getting himself in such situation.

"Oh, but I though Kawasaki-san is in love with you?"

_Can you just shut up now? You're not helping. _Kamijou sorrowfully pleaded in his mind as he decided to avert the topic, "By the way, what are you doing back there? You're supposed to be with Tsuchiya and Furuta, right?"

"Something just came up with me so I needed to see you," Fujima's expression turned serious, "We've been talking about how we can infiltrate that English guy's arms den in the West Bank and thinking about it, we needed outside assets. Someone who is either an outsider from us or hire a sleeper agent for us…"

"But we have Kawasaki-san…" Kamijou argued, "Why do we need to—"

"When push comes to shove, not even a trained fighter like her can take on multiple enemies in a tight space at the same time," Fujima replied, "If she's captured, there's no mistake that they'll kill or even torture her for a long period of time." He then grips his pistol as he looks up in the sky, "Guess we needed the direct involvement of the Israelis this time, huh? They're the ones who know more about doing the dirty stuff than us and I had to admit, it guarantees me at least some form of security."

Kamijou blinked at him before he replied, "Yeah. I think you're right. What we're about to enter is a bit dangerous but then…" He then threw up his arms, "I just wanted to finish all of this stuff and I want to go home and eat and sleep and play my gaming console all day."

"Same here, my friend. Same here…" Fujima gave a chortle as they were on their way on the camp.

Unknown to them all, someone had heard their conversation as they were walking out of the place of the Academy City and returned to where they came from.

_Assets for war, huh? _Keeping mostly to herself as she had just finished her own duties in their clinic, Himegami Aisa can only watch her former classmate walking and chatting loudly with Fujima, who didn't also notice her weak appearance despite having sharp senses. _So they needed help in entering a place that is filled with terrorists? _

Suddenly, she heard Tsuchimikado's voice calling out to her, "Hey, Hime-yan, Fukiyose-sama had just finished with her job of removing white phosphorus remains in the poor bastard's legs. Wanna eat lunch with us? I'm already hungry."

"But you didn't even do anything for the day," Himegami merely pouted as she walks with the blonde and Aogami, who is busy reading a pornographic magazine, "By the way, did Seiri happened to beat you up again? Your bruise in your face is very nauseating…"

* * *

"So Misaka-san, have you gotten through him already?"

"Shut up…"

"I see…then that means you just failed big time! Hahahaha!"

"I said just shut up!"

"Neh, why is Short Hair being irritated so early when we're just about to have our dinner…"

"You two, Silver Sister, shut up!"

Misaka Mikoto has been grumpy as she, Index, and Shokuhou are all sitting in their table while they were waiting for their own Yakiniku set to be cooked properly.

It was already night time and everyone was busy making dinner. The two Level Five Espers were busy putting in all the meat in the grill as Index just sat there and was waiting for them to finish cooking it. It was better this way as the nun might end up only burning the cured meat if she was the one assigned to grill it.

As Fukiyose and Himegami also sat down on their table while Tsuchimikado, for once, volunteered to cook their meat, the latter suddenly nudged at the former, who was busy combing her hair to make herself more presentable.

"Neh, Seiri, I heard Kamijou-kun and Fujima-kun talking about something," The Miko girl whispered as Aogami was playfully putting soy sauce into the grill, "I think it would be long before they would again strike—but this time, I believe that they would go in the West Bank."

The Forehead Deluxe can only raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"What? How do you know?" She asked in a suspicious tone.

"I heard it…"

"You shouldn't be eavesdropping on matters that aren't handled by us…"

"I know but…"

"We'll join in…"

Both Fukiyose and Himegami stopped their conversation as Yomikawa suddenly entered the scene as it seemed that she and Tessou had a particularly exhausting day in patrolling their whole community there. It didn't help that her younger subordinate had a few run-ins with several male refugees who seemed to be drunk and if it wasn't for Yomikawa beating them up to the pulp, only Kami-sama knows what could have happened to Tessou.

But then, that wasn't the only thing that happened at their night in the inn.

"My, my, Yomikawa-sensei! It's been a long time since we've last seen each other! How is your day!"

The moment they heard those sickly-sweet voice, Fukiyose nearly choked in her juice as Himegami merely blinked.

Tsuchimikado and Aogami can only stare in shock at the newcomer.

Shokuhou can only glare angrily as Misaka and Index showed indifference, although the former looked to be a bit surprised at her appearance.

"Oh…it seemed you have arrived…Kumokawa…" Yomikawa can only utter as she took note of the very formal business attire of the young woman, who arrived in Tatiana pumps, red pencil skirt, and long-sleeved polo shirt, "And seriously, what's with that outfit? It seemed like you're in a business summit or whatsoever…"

"Seriously, Yomikawa-sensei, we have just arrived and the others decided to go straight to the hotel not far from this community that is starting to grow," Kumokawa smiled rather devilishly and then her face turned a bit grumpy, "While I opted to go straight here, I had to drag an extra baggage around…" She then stepped aside and an old man in a bright yukata and a flat cap. The old man then took a further step with his cane.

"Good evening to you all, this young lady is very nice to accompany me here," The old man smiled as he bows to Yomikawa, "I'm Kikuchi Kouji and we're from the delegation that was sent here."

"It seems like he was also selected to go here as he had a status of a World War 2 veteran," Kumokawa sighed, not knowing why the old man had to go here with his advanced age clearly showing up, "But really, you don't have to go here with me, Kikuchi-san. I—"

"No, it's fine," Kikuchi waved off as he then went to a nearby table that was empty, "I'm still strong enough and besides, I want to see how my protégé and the other JSDF boys are doing here. It's been some months since I last saw them."

_That's supposed to be the table of Kamijou-kun and his fellow SFG operators. _Himegami cringed at the old man.

"Ignoring him, you've been all working hard, huh?" She then turned her gaze towards Fukiyose, who seemed to not like her presence at all, "Oh my, Fukiyose-chan looks safe at all," She sounded sarcastic at her remark, "So I take it that the SFG did manage to rescue her safely as well as the other. Hmm…I just heard a very ridiculous rumor about the SFG of the JSDF. If anything, I'd like to meet their leader."

There was an immediate silence following that sentence.

Tsuchimikado and Aogami sounded like they didn't know how to answer their former senpai's question as they pretended they didn't hear and simply continued cooking the Yakiniku set in their table. Fukiyose clammed up, having no intention to give what Kumokawa wants while Himegami simply was silent as she did not care about her arrival.

"Oh ho…no answer?" She chuckled and then averted her eyes towards the table where Shokuhou and her two companions were sitting. "Do you know anything?"

"Wh-What do you mean, Kumokawa?!" The Mental Out growled as she doesn't intend to let the Beauty Senpai do what she wants.

But the tense atmosphere is just making it unbearable to the point that even Misaka was now forced to speak, "Well…about that rumor…I take it that you heard it back home…well…actually…the SFG…uh…"

"Well, what?" Kumokawa began to be irritated as she sat beside Fukiyose and crossed her arms in annoyance, "What is it all about?"

"Well…the SFG's commander is…"

Suddenly, she wasn't able to complete her sentence as a group of voices that isn't a part of their group was heard.

"Oi, Kamijou, why the hell do you have that weird doll again?"

"I told you before; it's for luck…"

"Shall we have beer or just water?"

"Anything is fine for me…"

"I'm hungry now. Let's all hurry up…"

"It seems my students are here, hohoho…" Kikuchi's Santa Claus-like laughter broke the heavy atmosphere and cut off Misaka as he points to a certain direction, "Kamijou-san…over here…"

Suddenly, a group of young men in camouflage pants, green t-shirt, and their usual web gear with their usual M4 carbines, entered the mess hall, everyone in lively spirits.

_Kamijou-san?! _Kumokawa's eyes grew wide as she snapped her head towards the direction where Kikuchi is facing. Surely enough, the sight that greeted her was more than enough to shock her. _So the rumors aren't only true! It was none other than him!_

"O-Oi, guys! It's Kikuchi-sama!" From the entrance, Kamijou Touma was more than happy to see his mentor visit them in their assigned destination and quickly, every one of the SFG operators ran ahead and formed in line before they all bowed in respect to the veteran, "Good evenin, Kikuchi-sama! We're glad that you came here in good health!"

"Ah, hahahaha! I'm fine that you are also safe, sons," Kikuchi waved it off as quietly, every one of the SFG operators began to seat in the large, trapezoid table with the old man, "I heard that you got your baptism of fire here. Good to see that you have completed your objectives."

"Thanks for the compliment, sensei…" Kamijou spoke on behalf of his fellow SFG members.

_What? That old gasbag is that idiot's master? _Misaka peered curiously from her shoulder as he watched the old man and the younger men share stories.

"Ah, I was here thanks to her," Kikuchi motioned to the table where Fukiyose and company are present, "I think you should thank her as well…"

"Oh…" Kamijou then sharply turned his head but the moment he had done so, his eyes locked with golden-brown eyes and the moment he had done so, he nearly fell off the chair if it wasn't for Kurata, who managed to break his fall.

"Oi, what's wrong?" Kurata asked out of concern.

_Hey human! You're squishing me. _Othinus, who was brought along by the young man after Stiyl had temporarily left the camp to conduct his own recon mission, grumbled as she barely managed to get out of being completely crushed.

"Ku-Kumokawa-senpai?!" The spiky haired individual can only utter in complete shock.

"Oh…so that's why none of you wanted to answer me properly, especially you Fukiyose…" She then gave of a Cheshire-like grin, which only scared Tanaka out, "It's been so long so how are you now, my cute little kouhai?"


	19. Palestinian Keffiyeh

_Replies for Reviews_

_SciFi Maker – Thanks! Just wait for it to happen..._

_Tsun – Thanks for that nice comment..._

_Whwsms – I supposed Yomikawa-sensei has too much pride for that, though, especially when drunk..._

_Mr. X – Sometimes, I tend to forget that Misaka's look older than she looks and as much as it sounded like it should be the job of a Mossad, I feel that the Sayeret Matkal would be much better. Oh and I have actually read that. It's actually a unique OC-centric story._

_Fencer29 – He works well with everyone, though..._

_Rajarshi Sarkar – Mental Out would be useful in the future, I think. And sorry for the slow pacing._

_Sergio644 - Thanks man..._

* * *

"Ku-Kumokawa-senpai?!"

"Oh…so that's why none of you wanted to answer me properly, especially you Fukiyose…" She then gave of a Cheshire-like grin, which only scared Tanaka out, "It's been so long so how are you now, my cute little kouhai?"

"Uh…I'm fine…hehehe…" Kamijou Touma can only chuckle nervously as he found himself staring into the eyes of Kumokawa, who only grinned as she rests her chin into her two clasped hands. The former Beauty Senpai of a certain high school didn't say anything more but her smile sent both an aura of evilness and intimidation as it made the spiky haired young man stagger back in fear, almost falling into his butt in the process if Tanaka wasn't fast enough to catch their team leader, "H-Hey, captain, are you alright?" The rifleman of the team noticed that their captain was pale, "You looked like you're about to get sick…"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just surprised…" Kamijou recomposed himself just in time to be able to sit beside Kikuchi, who seemed to be more than pleasant to meet his student once again as gradually, every one of the SFG members had already sat down on the table.

"By the way, who the hell was that?" Machine gunner Abe Seijiro, codenamed Onyx, asked in curiosity as his eyes points towards Kumokawa, who seemed to pretend that everything is fine as she heartily chats and laughs with Fukiyose, who seemed to not enjoy her sudden appearance but is merely riding in with her

"Just a former senpai in my high school back in Academy City," Kamijou decided to start explaining before any misunderstanding can start happening, "I don't know what actually happened to her during my four years being in the NDA but I presume she found a job as a consultant in the Board of Directors."

"What, another Academy City nutjob?" Kurata can't help but wonder if their commander and his fellow students of the city of science are simply binded by fate to be always together at one place or it's just their commander's strange luck having a hand in all of these events, "Well, not like I would even want to know about it. Kikuchi-sensei, do you want barbeque? I'll cook for you..."

"I prefer boiled vegetables at this current age of mine..." The World War II veteran sighed as he watched all of the young SFG operators began to roast and grill meat just in front of him. _I won't be surprised if none of them even reaches the age of fifty at this rate. _He then noticed his former student silently tapping his rifle, as if he's not even in the mood to eat. "My son, it looks like you;re gloomy today. What happened?"

"Uh—huh...oh..." Due to a lot of things running into his mind, Kamijou didn't quite hear his former teacher calling out to him clearly, "I-I'm sorry, Kikuchi-sama if I didn't hear you the first time. I was thinking about a lot of things." He felt a bit embarrassed to ignore his former teacher from the past.

"I can see clearly that you do have a lot in your plate. I suggest that you all drink tea with me after dinner," Kikuchi patted his son-figure's shoulder, "I'm sure they have some stocks of _sencha _leaves there. By the way, has anything happened here while you are on tour?"

"Other than the fact that we got engaged in a brief firefight at the Golan Heights and we were forced to take on a rescue operation somewhere near the border of Lebanon and Israel, nothing much has really happened. The peacekeeping operations are being done by the regular JSDF infantry, making us like some sort of an ace up in the sleeve," Kamijou explains as he opens a can of beer and sips some, "While it's a bit lonely for us here, it was somehow eased up by the fact that I was reunited with my former high school classmates and colleagues by some strange miracle."

"Than that's good to hear. Basically reminds me of some of my friends back in the Imperial Army..." Kikuchi replied as he looked far away for a second, as if trying to reminiscence some memories, "But you know son...now that I think about it...I don't think you would be assigned here for no reason other than the fact that Japan would be engaged in a peacekeeping operation. But I heard that the other platoons of the SFG is also being deployes here in Iraq is quite surprising to hear..."

Upon hearing the words of the old man pierce his thoughts like a bullet crushing a man's tissues, Kamijou didn't know how to react as he stiffened in response.

"Are you not keeping out some detailed information?" The old man smiled, prompting Kamijou to only nod. But before the spiky haired man can reply verbally, Kikuchi raised his hand up and began to speak, "Whatever that is, I don't find any reason to dwell on it anymore since I'm no longer serving actively, be it on Japan's Imperial forces or in the present SFG. But if you wanted to learn tricks, then I can show you some after we eat."

By the time the war veteran had finished speaking, Kurata had already finished cooking the Yakiniku set while Fujima brought in freshy-cooked blanched vegetables for the elder statesman and together, they began to eat haertily. Kikuchi then began to tell the young SFG operators his own experiences in his time as well as some knowledge and wisdom in times of strife. All of those who are present in the table, particularly Kamijou, mentally jotted down what the old man is saying as the sounds of the beer head can be heard squeezing out to their cans.

"He's a what?" From another table near the place where the SFG are sitting down, Yomikawa Aiho can't believe any word that Dr. Himuro, who coincidentally passed by, that was present was saying as they all watched the men in green listen to the old man intently.

"Kikuchi-sama may not look like it at one glance since he had mellowed out as time passes but if you don't know, he's the famed "Yellow Death," Himuro explained as he sat down with Yomikawa and the nurses.

"Ye-Yellow Death? That's him?!" Yomikawa had heard about the legend of the Yellow Death of World War II although she didn't expect that she would be able to meet him personally—in flesh and blood, "You're kidding, right?"

"No, Yomikawa-san, I don't joke on matters like these," Himuro smiled rather warmly, "In fact, I heard from Kurata-san that it was Kikuchi-sensei who trained Kamijou-kun to be the sharpshooter that he is today. Basically, your former student in Academy City was taken under the tutelage of a war hero..."

"War hero? But you said he's from World War II. How can he possibly be even a hero if he's under from the IJN?" Fukiyose raised her eyes in slight curiosity, "In fact, they were the reason why Japan was—"

"Hold your horses there, young lady," Himuro cut her off, "I don't think what you'll be saying is right. Yes, that was Japan's darkest moment but just because it had a very violent and turbulent past doesn't mean that you can judge all of her past heroes as the bad guys. In fact, Kikuchi-sensei was one of the few former World War II veterans who got integrated into the then-fledgling JSDF due to his good record, a surprisingly rare trait among those who came from both the IJN and the IJA."

"Excuse me but what made him a legend?" Himegami asked.

"Let's see...he was just in his mid-teens when he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army and then to the Naval Landing Forces. He used a mere Arisaka rifle to kill more than 200 US Marines at the bloody battle of Okinawa. Interestingly, I doubt if he believes in the so-called Bushido code but whether that is a fact or not, it's not important. What I do think is that he just did what he had to do at that time..."

"So I guess it now makes sense why Kami-yan's gunhandling is abnormally sharp," Aogami added as he slurps his juice, "By the way, how did that old man in Kikuchi-san brought Kami-yan under his wings? Did Kami-yan seduced him or what?"

"Aogami, what you said is pretty much disturbing," Fukiyose was disgusted with the bluenette's choice of words as she lightly punches him in his head, "But I myself is curious too. How did Kamijou found a veteran to teach him?"

"Beats me. But he's from the NDA and Kikuchi-san is affiliated with the Veteran's Corps in the NDA. I think he must have seen the potential on Kamijou-san," Himuro pointed out as he then leaves the scene to attend to something.

The dinner then went ahead rather smoothly as Kumokawa continued to laugh and share stories with Yomikawa, who was getting more than irritated at the uncharacteristic liveliness that the former Beauty Senpai of a certain high school is showing. Interestingly, everytime she laughs, she kept glancing her head towards the direction where Kamijou is eating and drinking beer with his fellow SFG men. The spiky haired young man, though, was obviously keeping his liquor intake moderately as every minute, anything else can happen and they just have to be prepared for it. What made her attention even drew closer to the men in green is Kamijou obviously asking notes from the old man. _I regret not even asking Kikuchi-san about my cute little kouhai. _Kumokawa internally knew she had actually missed her chance on hindsight as she sees that the veteran is greatly respected among Kamijou's peers. _But I guess that's why there are two words called surprise and circumstance. _She hid a somewhat cute smile which was actually caught by Fukiyose, who suddenly began to again feel her mind getting snapped by the mere presence of one of the most hated people in her list. _I got competition here. I have to be more careful... _She creepily noted in her mind as she was close to nearly cutting her plate using only a knife and her fork.

Meanwhile, Misaka can't help but also observe the old veteran eating his vegetables as he seemed to be preaching the youngsters (as he sees them) in pure seriousness. _What's the deal with this guy that everyone, even that idiot, seemed to listen and respect him that much? _Listening to tidbits of the conversation from the table of the nurses on the other side, she quickly deduced that this old man was a World War II veteran, which actually made it even confusing for her. _But according to our history professor in college, World War II Japanese veterans are all evil and do not deserve even some lenient treatment due to what happened in the past. Is there some truth to that? Or is it that whatever is being taught to us has been all wrong? _She didn't know what to believe and was tempted to stand up and confront the old man herself when suddenly, someone else had already beat her to it.

"Sir, excuse me..." A JSDF patrolman cuts in between the dinner and quickly, he briskly walks closer to Kamijou and bends his body while he slung his Type 89 assault rifle behind his back, "I'm sorry to disrupt your lively discussion with Kikuchi-sensei but you needed to hear this immediately..." He then began to whisper into the ear of the spiky haired young man, who sensed the urgency written into the face of the sentry and he lent his ear.

It wasn't even five minutes into the hushed exchange that the face of Kamijou suddnely scrunched up.

"Oi, you serious about that?" The fists of the young man balled.

"I believe that the possibility of it is very large..." The sentinel replied while saluting to get the permission to leave his presence.

After the short exchange, Kamijou immediately drank his beer fast and he proceeded to stand up. "Kikuchi-sama, excuse me..." He politely said, "There is just this one subject that we need to talk to right now. Men, move out..."

At the voice of Kamijou ordering them to gather at another place, they all immediately stood up quietly and they all proceeded to the area where they all kept their M4 carbines bundled up and kept safely hidden. Suddenly, everyone who was either a nurse from Academy City or a non-SFG personnel present can feel the pressure and the tension suddenly rising in the air as Himegami even stopped chewing on her meat.

"Wh—what is happening?" Fukiyose asked aloud as the sounds of the M4 carbines being cocked was all heard in the air as she spots her former classmate began to check his pistol's magazine before he proceeded to pull back the slide of his H&K USP and modified M1911 pistols.

"Mission," Was all the spiky haired boy replied as the SFG operators quickly moved out of the mess hall. _I do hope you don't torture anyone. _Kikuchi sighed as ironically, he just thought of an advice that greatly contrasted to what they did back in the second world war.

* * *

After having excused themselves from dinner, Kamijou and the rest of the SFG platoon quickly hurried up to their interrogation chamber of their camp as the spiky haired young man kept a tight grip on his rifle while his heart was beating louder. _So our guards had intercepted a man suspected of gunrunning? _He thought to himself as the possibility that this would finally lead to their one main objective that he and Stiyl Magnus had shared together. _By the way, where is he right now? Has he also achieved what he needs to do?_

"Sir, some of the weapons that is found in the car of the guy is displayed just outside your quarters," One of the JSDF sentries reported to him, "We would have let him go if he wasn't suspiciously increasing the speed of the car..."

"In other words, he was trying to outrun all of you," Fujima sighed, not exactly surprised at the tactics and unconventional methods that some of the terrorist groups in the Middle East are employing, "Good thing that we have patrols and checkpoints leading to the road near the Blue Line..."

As soon as the men have entered the courtyard, the JSDF sentry then lead them to the area where they have exhibited for Kamijou to see. "Hmmmm…" The spiky haired man then used his flashlight to get a better view of the materiel that was confiscated from the man that their JSDF patrol had captured, "Let's see what we have here…AKs…fertilizers…packs of hydrogen peroxide…ammunition…" He then randomly picked up an AK-47 variant and he began to scrutinize its serial number and its sides, "The wood stocking looks quite old…" He began to speak, "And the serial number's got scratched horribly. But that aside, I think this thing can still fire. Can someone pick me up a magazine of this?" Kurata then spotted an AK mag and gave it to their team leader, who proceeded to cock it before he fired a few rounds in a nearby tree. _Si reckless… _The JSDF sentry can only sweatdrop.

"Judging by the location where we are now, it's possible that this rifle came from Syria," Kamijou explained, "After all, I have seen pictures of the Syrian Arab Army still wielding the Type 56 AK variant." A variant of the Soviet-designed AK-47 (specifically Type 3) and AKM rifles, the Chinese-made Type 56 was exported to many countries and guerrilla forces throughout the world. Many of these rifles found their way to battlefields in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East and were used alongside other Kalashnikov pattern weapons from both the Soviet Union as well the Warsaw Pact nations of Eastern Europe.

"It doesn't come as a surprise. A lot of Chinese-made weapons are readily available here in the region," Jin added as he particularly eyed a copy of the Soviet TT-30 pistol, "And that Type 54 pistol does look slick. I wonder if the Chinese actually sold to the FSA here or they were the captured ones from the government stocks…"

Kamijou put down the Type 56 and proceeded to check a DShK heavy machine gun, which is even complete with a tripod. A contemporary of the famous Browning .50 M2 machine gun, the _Dushka_, as it was dearly known from Russian-speaking places, is a Soviet heavy machine gun with a V-shaped "butterfly" trigger, firing the 12.7×108mm cartridge and was also used as a heavy infantry machine gun, in which case it was frequently deployed with a two-wheeled mounting and a single-sheet armour-plate shield.

"It's probably Chinese-made too or the old Soviet model," Tsuchiya Tetsuo didn't fail to notice the distinctive the unique spider sighting mounted on the disks on top of the machine gun, "But either way, it's utilized against helicopters…"

"Should we report this to the Israelis or what?" Fujima asked Kamijou.

"Let's ask the guy first before we ask help from the IDF. I doubt they're willing to go on a sting operation that can politically put them in trouble," Kamijou gave his decision, "Well, whoever this lunatic guy is, we just have to ask him peacefully…"

"I doubt he would crack under pressure, though," Tanaka gave his honest reply as he lights up a cigarette to make himself warm under the cold nights of the Israeli winds, "I've read a lot of Jihadists that choose to not say anything or worse, they would detonate themselves with explosives…"

"Well…"

"Oiiiii!"

"What the—huh, Misaka?" Kamijou was flabbergasted to see the brunette Level Five, Index, and the blonde Mental Out all running towards where they are right now, "Hey, what are you doing here? Besides, this is—"

"Just shove off that SFG metaphor of yours and accept our help," Misaka stubbornly refused to listen to every word the spiky haired man says, "Didn't I say that I will help you in your new mission?"

"Yeah? But it doesn't mean anytime," Kamijou sighed as his fellow SFG operators began to whisper with one another, "And certainly not now. We're interrogating someone at this point." _Plus, I don't think your electricity won't help as of the moment. If anything, it would only worsen our situation. _

"But I can…" Misaka was about to rant again when out of the blue, Shokuhou Misaki decided to intervene, "Misaka-san, if it's just interrogating, then let me help him myself. I myself is enough for the job," She then faced Kamijou, who just looked at her like she just popped out of nowhere, "Hello, again, Kamijou-san…"

"Uh…hello…honey-scent girl…" The boy wasn't even sure of his own response as his uncertainty didn't fail to attract the attention of Kurata, who was a bit perplexed at this. _Captain, you looked like you don't know her._

"I can tell if the man is lying or not. Just bring me to him," Shokuhou smiled sweetly while her eyes shone brightly, "I want to help you too…"

Kamijou saw both the determination and the desire of the honey-scented girl to help him. _Something tells me she would make things much easier. _She then looked at Misaka then at Fujima before speaking, "Fujima, Kurata, Tanaka, Jin, come with me. You also, honey-scented ojou-san. The rest, bring the materiel to the stock room and report it to the Israelis. Misaka…" He then sighed as he knew he would be giving her an assignment that is perfect for her, "Help Takato dispose the heavy explosives and chemical fertilizers by using your power. Index, since you're the most useless of all three of you, just stay here…"

"Touma!" Index roared in anger.

"Hey, that's unfa—" Misaka was about to complain but suddenly, Fujima cut her off by punching her head, "Ouch! Stop doing that!"

"Idiot. Stop complaining and help them out if you really want to help us," Fujima didn't even slightly care for the complaint of the Level Five Railgun, "Get yo ass up and start helping your Takato-senpai."

* * *

Kamijou quietly sat down in front of the small table as he faces a certain man with a beard that the young man has become too much familiar with in this harsh environment as well as a keffiyeh similar to the ones being worn by the Palestinians as a sign of solidarity and supports for Palestinian nationalism.

"I'll make this quick. What do you know about those shipments that you're about to smuggle?" Kamijou coolly asked as a JSDF interpreter was sitting in the other side of the table between the spiky haired young man and the man, who looks to be a typical middle-aged Arabic man.

The interpreter then began to speak in heavily-accented Arabic to the captured suspect and immediately, the bearded guy began to reply as calm as he could possibly show.

"Sir, he said that he had no idea what those crates are in the first place," The interpreter began to talk for the man, "He also said that he was only being paid to do it without knowledge of what he was delivering…"

"You don't know? Then can you explain why your pistol that we confiscated from you had gunpowder residue?" Kamijou pressed on, causing the Arab to somewhat fidget a bit although he was able to maintain his stoic posture, "It indicated that you got involved in a fight or something. Plus, our patrols said that you increased your speed the moment you made contact with the checkpoints available."

The man didn't say anything. In fact, he was so tightlipped that it was beginning to piss of Tanaka, whose normally long patience was beginning to thinly stretch and was tempting to actually shout at the man before Jin held him back, "Remember the protocol; we can't use even foul language against POWs or suspects."

Kamijou decided to change tactics, seeing that they weren't getting nowhere, "Brother, I'm curious for one thing. Where did you come from? Your direction indicates that you made a detour to a secluded and isolated pass in the Golan Heights from Syria or even Iraq but your black and white keffiyeh indicates that you're someone from the West Bank or even from the Gaza Strip," This time, the Arab frowned angrily, "Were you delivering some weapons to an arms dealer who is taking advantage of the perilous conditions of your countrymen?"

The Arab-speaking man then tersely responded and the interpreter then began to deliver what the man said, "Sir, he said that he has no idea what you are talking about and that you were speaking non-sense…"

Kamijou sighed, "This guy's a tough nut to crack. He—"

"Kamijou-san…"

"Uh…yeah?" Kamijou then turned to face Shokuhou, who is smiling warmly to her, "Don't be too tense, my prince. If possible, may I take things from here? With my power, I should be able to read his mind even if he stays tight-lipped the whole time…"

"I see, honey-scent girl. Then I guess there's no harm in letting you giving it a try," Kamijou then stood up and had the blonde Mental Out take his place, "I trust you. You can do it." She patted the head of Shokuhou, who nearly squealed in happiness but she kept it down. _Take that, Misaka-san! _She then faced the Arab-speaking man, who merely looked at her with a condescending expression. Shokuhou merely smiled as her starry eyes shone while she pulled out a remote control from her chain bag.

"You'd think this would work?" Fujima asked Kamijou.

"I have the feeling that she would be able to crack him," Their team leader shrugged but he was confident.

In just five minutes, Kamijou Touma proved to be right.

Shokuhou Misaki was giggling in victory as the Arab man, who was sweating profusely and shivering during the last 120 seconds, began to pant as he then confessed what the blonde had just read in his mind. "Cool, so she was able to crack him like Kamijou said?" Kurata was amazed as they all witnessed how the blonde was able to manipulate the Arab man into confessing, "She even knew the poor guy's family members. How did she do that?"

"Esper ability…" Kamijou replied briefly, "By the way, Chiba-san honey-scent girl, what did you extract from him?"

"He said that it's a place called Nablus…" Shokuhou replied.

Upon hearing what the girl had just extracted from the man's mind, the rest of those who are present just fell silent as they didn't expect it. Well, they did expect it from the two Palestinian territories but not this place.

"Hey, the IDF maintains a presence in Nablus, right?" Kurata asked in obvious confusion, "Surely, they would have…"

"No…" Thinking about it deeply made the young spiky haired boy realize something, "Whoever this guy is, he managed to make his transactions open without even getting detected and that's probably because the IDF only maintains presence in half of the area's place and the rest is controlled by the Palestinian National Authority."

"So these means…" Jin sighed, not really liking all of these at all.

"One, asking help from the Israelis would be a big gamble to themselves. Two, it won't be an easy battle to enter their place," Kamijou sighed as he looks at the Arab, who looked drenched in sweat despite being given refreshments, "But we have no choice."

He then clenches his fists.

"We'll have to plan and prepare for a surprise assault with the IDF…"

* * *

Kawasaki Satsuki was busy reading through some files sent to her by their mother unit back in Chiba.

"Nothing much is going on, though," The slim woman with long, black hair sighed as she kept herself busy. It was already late at night and she wondered what happened to her boys who were busy in their own tasks. _The guys were supposed to be finished detonating explosives right now and Baby Boy…seemed to be having a hard time with that guy they have captured._

After sending a call to their counterparts in the IDF based in Northern Galilee about the interception of materiel, Kawasaki was forced to retire to her own office as she was preparing to meet again a representative from the Sayeret Matkal to hand over the remaining military equipment confiscated and the captured man, whom they promised better treatment in custody. "I needed some fresh air…."

But as soon as she got up and opened the door, she was surprised to see that someone's waiting for her at the entrance.

"Wha—Fukiyose-san…right?" She didn't know Fukiyose Seiri personally but she knew her name well enough to get baffled as to what she was doing here—and at her own quarters, of all places, "What are you doing here?"

The Forehead Deluxe looked at her like she was some kind of an alien before she sighed and said, "I heard you guys are gearing up for another fight."

"Yes. That's true. Why are you asking?"

"Because…casualties are much higher than at places like the West Bank," Fukiyose calmly explained, "If so, we would also be needed there as well for medicinal purposes…"

"Well, you're not wrong but…" Kawasaki didn't know where this conversation was leading to, "Do you have something else in your mind? I doubt you would just go here with that kind of reasoning…"

Fukiyose's lips turned straight in a subtle show of hesitation before she then spoke, "Aisa, told me what they were up against in West Bank. I wanted to be of help to Kamijou…so…"

"So…"

The next seven words would somehow make the Roseline of the SFG nearly close the door shut.

"Please, teach me how to hold a gun…"

"What?!"


	20. Kumokawa Seria

_Replies for Reviews_

_Whwsms – Just got to say, I borrowed a few ideas from the first chapter of your "A Certain Search After The Truth" story. Thanks in advance and apology for doing it. _

_SciFi Maker – Yes, a mission is coming soon._

_Mr. X – 1) It's in this chapter. 2) Yeah, I think 3) Yeah, just finished reading it._

_Fencer29 – You'd be surprised, then._

* * *

"Please, teach me how to hold a gun…"

"What?!"

"You heard me," Fukiyose Seiri sounded like she was snarling but she kept herself composed in front of the taller Kawasaki, who seemed to be affronted by her tongue and by the request that she is conveying to the SFG's Roseline, "I'm asking you to teach me how to handle a gun…" She paused, thinking about her next words, "You know…those types of firearms being used by Kamijou…"

_Oh…I see…_ Kawasaki huffed as her dark eyes narrows towards her look-alike, who seemed to be impatient to get an answer from her, "You do know that you're a nurse which means you're a civilian yourself? Logically speaking, I don't see any sense in having to teach you how to handle a firearm since you're a nurse, not a soldier, much less a member of the special forces."

"Being a nurse isn't an excuse for me not to be of help other than treating other people," Fukiyose could swear she would have almost yelled at the woman in front of her if it wasn't for the fact that she's a member of her former classmate's 4th platoon of the first SFG Company, "I don't want to be a burden to him by relying on him for protection all the time. I'm pretty sure my fellow nurses feel the same—"

"Then isn't that the reason why that Anti-Skill is sent here?" Kawasaki raised her eyebrows, doubting that Forehead Deluxe's reasoning, "Let me be honest with you, as much as I would love to teach you marksmanship since I'm somewhat touched by your reasoning of wanting to be of help, I can't. You're not authorized to handle any kind of weaponry for purposes other than to have exercises in the gunnery range…which was allowed by our team leader…" The pale-skinned young woman sighed, suddenly realizing that twelve platoons that exist within their four companies, their commander probably is the most liberal one.

_Probably…_

Fukiyose only frowned as she looked at the pale woman, who just stared back, undaunted by the nurse's slight intense look. Finally, after ten seconds of not exchanging, the Iron Wall Girl huffed as she puffed and pouted her mouth, "Okay…I get it…I understand you…" She was holding a white towel at that time and she seemed prepared to crumple it under her tight grip, "Since it's something that even Kamijou can't deal with since it's a rule, then I suppose I'll have to back down."

Kawasaki can only chuckle at the sight of Fukiyose's defeated expression. _For some reasons, it's very amusing and satisfying to see her face like that. _

"I guess I'm lea—"

"Uh, Fukiyose…san, what are you doing here, in our quarters?"

"Kamijou?!"

Fukiyose Seiri almost stumbled upon her first step the moment she had heard the voice of her former classmate, who just came from interrogating a certain Palestinian suspect, just calling out to her. With him is Index, who looked a bit drained despite not actually doing even anything, and Misaka, who looked like she was battered by a Moroccan dust storm as her face was literally decorated with gunpowder residue and her hair looked awful. Overall, her appearance was really shitty at this point.

"Good to see you, Kawasaki-san and Fukiyose-san. I have already extracted information from the wicked guy. He says we'll have to directly raid a Nablus café and an underground stockroom if we wanted to catch this gun runner," Kamijou replied, holding Misaka in her dirtied scrubbing uniform, "And Fukiyose, I trust that you watch over Misaka-san because after all, she's your responsibility…"

"Let me go, you idiot!" The Level Five was squirming to get free as she tried to shock him earlier but the young man was able to cancel her electricity, "I said let me…"

"I would have let you go if it wasn't for the fact that you tried to attack Takato-san with your electricity," Kamijou was chiding the brunette, "Besides, what's with your almost going off a while back…"

"That guy literally punched me in the head!" Misaka was furious as she was trying to wriggle her way out of the young man's grip.

"That was because you were supposed to help him dispose the chemical fertilizers properly, not complain all day about me giving you what you were asking for," Kamijou hilariously scolded the Level Five like a mother cat giving a lecture to her kitten, "Besides, you should be happy that I even allowed the three of you there, even Index, who was supposed to be useful only in wiping off our plates clean…"

"Touma!" Index yelled at the perceived insult.

Ignoring the wild Short Hair and the incensed Silver Sister, Kamijou turned to both Kawasaki and his former classmate, "Excuse us, Kawasaki, but it's getting late. That Palestinian guy is temporarily detained at one of the spare quarters that we have and I posted Tsuchiya and Hayama to guard him as well as some of the regular JSDF peacekeepers. Tomorrow, a team from the IDF's Sayeret Matkal will take him to permanent custody."

"Sayeret Matkal, huh?" Kawasaki seemed impressed as their commander seemed to be familiar with Israel's primary special reconnaissance unit, "Does that mean that you have asked Commander Rivlin to come tomorrow?"

"I don't know. It can probably be him or Team Leader Gilad Cohen, the Samaritan," The spiky haired young man replied, "In any case, I actually don't look forward to meet them because...you know…the political consequences if we go straight to Nablus…"

"I see. I see. Well, you should go and escort these ladies to safety," Kawasaki smiled teasingly, winking, "And get some rest for tonight. Meeting with your counterpart officers from the IDF would surely drain your energy since these Israelis are a bit touchy when it comes to anything involving their own security…"

"I know, Kawasaki. Well, rest too and good job speaking with the IDF officials," Kamijou turned his back on Roseline but not before nudging Fukiyose, who was merely silent between their short conversation, to move along as well. When they moved away from the door, the Iron Wall Girl quickly threw a dirty glance at Kawasaki, who saw this and only smirked at the nurse. _Bring it on, cutie. _The pale-skinned woman wanted to stick her tongue out to provoke Fukiyose but she decided against it. _I won't go any lower than that. _

* * *

When they were out of the Roseline's earshot, Fukiyose was the first to respond.

"Neh, Kamijou, who is this Rivlin and this Gilad Cohen that you spoke?" The Iron Wall Girl can't help but ask in slight curiosity. Outside of those NDA alumni she had encountered, she never had met the Sayeret Matkal officers being mentioned by her former classmate, "Are they some kind of batchmates as well like that Filipino guy?"

"Uh…no…but when we came to your rescue, they were with us," Kamijou explained, "It wouldn't be possible for us to conduct our missions independently since the Blue Line border is a sensitive place that we cannot just go in there without the help of the Sayeret Matkal."

"So…what are these guys called the Sayeret or something are?" Misaka kept hearing the term without even understanding what it means.

"Oh right. Basically, they're like the Israeli counterpart of the Special Forces Group of Japan's JSDF but experience-wise, even I admit that we're basically lacking in contrast to theirs," Kamijou began explaining what the Sayeret Matkal is.

Officially called the **General Staff Reconnaissance Unit**, or **Unit 269**, the Sayeret Matkal is the prime _sayeret_ unit of the Israel Defense Forces. Being a field intelligence-gathering unit, conducting deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines to obtain strategic intelligence, Sayeret Matkal is also tasked with counter-terrorism and hostage rescue beyond Israel's borders. The unit is modeled after the British Army's Special Air Service (SAS), taking the unit's motto "Who Dares, Wins". The unit is the Israeli equivalent of the Delta Force of the United States. It is directly subordinate to the IDF's Directorate of Military Intelligence.

"Technically, there are a lot of Sayerets or special forces units in the IDF. They have the Unit 101 which was disbanded. They also have the famed Shayetet 13, the unit of the Israeli Navy, and is the somewhat counterpart of the JSDF's Special Boarding Unit," Kamijou rambled on.

"How come you know all of these stuff?" Misaka asked skeptically.

"We studied it in the NDA," Kamijou answered while not particularly liking some memories from the past, "In fact, the previous Chief of the General Staff, Gadi Eizenkot, had once visited our academy and said that we're not bad at all. And to my misfortune, he had challenged me on a shooting match even though I was still a plebe at that time and I haven't met Kikuchi-sensei…"

"And what happened, Touma?"

"Eh…let's not get to that…" Kamijou sighed as he then let's go of his grip towards Misaka, "By the way, Fukiyose, if you can, please watch over Misaka-san since she's the responsibility of the whole nursing staff of Academy City. She already got to trouble a lot of times so please, guide her…"

"Oh sure, Kamijou. Anything for you," Fukiyose nodded as she was tempted to grab the hands of the spiky haired young man, whose right hand was actually holding the pistol grip of his M4 carbine. She decided against it, fearing that it would be too much uncharacteristic even for her, who began to open up slightly to the former classmate she had always shut back when they were in high school, "But it would be a little too hard because she's a bit—you know…the self-entitled that characterized most Level Fives…"

Ignoring the "Hey!" protests of Misaka, Kamijou merely rolled his eyes as he said, "You don't sound like you, Fukiyose. You and Himegami…I both knew you can do it," He said, giving her a toothy grin and a thumbs-up, "Believe it!"

"I-Idiot, you don't have to tell that. I've been brought up to always believe in my own potential. That's why I have worked so hard to get to this position," The Forehead Deluxe would have loved to bop the young man in his head while Misaka began to utter incoherent words of what sounded to be disgust and looks of abhorrence as she followed them silently, "If anything, it should be you whom I should be addressing that…"

"Then I guess I should at least thank you for that…"

"You guess?"

"I mean, it's good that for once, I can hear you say positive things about me," Kamijou scratched his head, "Outside school back in the past, we don't usually interact that much and the time we do meet each other at Seventh Mist, it would always be when I see you checking out those lingerie and as a result, you would either lecture me or worse, you would even headbutt me even when I wasn't doing anything in the first place."

"That was in the past, Kamijou! Besides, the circumstances were different back then," Fukiyose retorted back, "But judging by how you act and look very different today, it seemed that the NDA had not only high standards but had a different way of teaching discipline." _And the kind of discipline that even I admit I might not even be able to survive it in a year, let alone four. _She left it unsaid, not wanting to look weak in front of the young man, who just looked at her like some kind of an idiot.

"A military academy is light years different from a normal university. Yeah, it's harsh but…" Kamijou had to choose his words carefully as someone from someone from the JSDF might hear him, "I'm actually grateful for the hardships that I learned there. I do take pride at the fact that it was at that place that I have become who I am."

Misaka acted as if she wanted to say something but the atmosphere that was surrounding them prevented her from opening her mouth as Index was simply thinking another set of dinner. _That's why I'm happy that you didn't end up like Tsuchimikado or Aogami. _At the very least, it left the Iron Wall Girl in peace, knowing that she just had to deal with lesser idiots this time.

"Kamijou-kun…"

"Himegami/Aisa/Himegami-senpai?"Kamijou suddenly halted dead on his tracks as in front of them was none other than the invisible Deep Blood Gemstone, who seemed to stand on her spot like she was intending to block their path all along although her face didn't seemed to show any kind of that dark intention.

"I was waiting for you all to return to the mess hall but none of you have come back," Surprisingly, she was frowning which made Fukiyose almost yelp in shock while the other three were simply staring blankly, although the young man can't help but stare, "Kamijou-kun, what's with you suddenly leaving all of us like that in the air?"

"Just SFG stuff that most Japanese civilians, including you Misaka, won't really understand," Kamijou left it at that, "But you know, it's already getting late. Why don't we all get back to our quarters and rest? I'll just escort all of you girls."

"Sure, Kamijou…"

"I don't mind…"

"You sound too stuck up, idiot…"

"Touma! Touma! Why don't you let us sleep in _your _room?"

"Index…" The young man grimaced as he really wanted to strike her with the butt of his carbine but doing so would also mean incurring the wrath of a certain Fire Mage, "I don't want to get my life expectancy be cut down further by our SFG commander ever since the incident with Misaka barely left me with any courage to stand up to Commander Hinata, who could strip me of my command any time."

Index huffed and pouted but it didn't do anything to change the mind of the Imagine Breaker as they all began to walk back to the inn where the Academy City medical staff was staying. As only a few military personnel were seen strolling at the unfinished fortified compound in groups or phalanxes, Kamijou found himself wondering whether tomorrow would be another heated argument with either Commander Rivlin or Cohen, since what they're planning to do is a political risk in Israel that even the IDF wouldn't risk to do unless it's extremely necessary. _And come to think of it. Cohen's got the same first name as the same guy who got kidnapped in 2006? Was that Gilad Shalit or what? _He recalled such incident being discussed during their survival class back in their academy days.

"So…when are you going out with the rest of the SFG, again?" The miko girl suddenly asked randomly, catching the attention of Fukiyose and Misaka, who seemed eager to join the young man again for another battle.

"I don't know when but even if I know, it's not like I can tell you," Kamijou scratched his head as the next turn of events showed why saying "can't tell" can sometimes be dangerous for an unlucky man like him.

"And why is that? Don't tell me you place more faith in those IDF guys rather than us, the much advanced Anti-Skill of Academy City…ouch!" Misaka didn't even need to question more to know that earning a punch in the head means that she must have said something quite wrong, "What did I say wrong this time?"

"Perhaps, I should have expected your lack of knowledge of the IDF," Kamijou sighed, not even caring for the little bump that was growing out Misaka's head, "But for political reasons, I suggest that you all keep out of it."

"What's with the political reasons that you are spouting?" Fukiyose asked.

"Israel and the two Palestinian territories currently have an uneasy truce in place which means that any incursion between the two states can immediately flare up a conflict like the 2006 Gaza War and the 2012 and 2014 Operations Pillar of Defense and Protective Edge," Kamijou began a history ramble, "If some personality like Misaka-san is seen engaging Palestinian fighters in Nablus, who knows what extent it can damage not only the fragile peace here but also the political atmosphere back in Academy City. At least, it it's just the IDF, albeit the secret participation of the SFG, then the media firestorm, though large in its own right, is much manageable."

"But still…" Misaka tried to reason out.

"Misaka-san, just listen to your Kamijou-senpai," The young man was surprised to see and hear Fukiyose suddenly coming to his defense, "Just think about it. When you zapped the equipment of the other peacekeepers staying here, it caused a brief conflict between the Philippines and Academy City. If something as small as that cause a diplomatic protest, what odds that it won't happen again, especially in your case?" _Although I would like to help you too. _Was left unsaid.

"But Touma!" Now, even Index started to complain.

"Index, just leave it to me and Sti—I mean the whole SFG," Kamijou said with determination, clutching his M4 carbine, "Well, we're here. You all need to take a rest. I needed some rest too."

"Good night, Kamijou-kun," Himegami blandly called to the young man, who just nodded and turned his back on them before he eventually began to retrace his steps back to their own quarters. It didn't take long for him to reach his place and once he entered his room, he was greeted by an unexpected, or rather expected, guest.

"How was the interrogation?" Stiyl Magnus asked with a bored face as his attention was actually stuck on the poker game that he was playing alone, "And by the way, where's Othinus? She promised we will have a round two after she lost in our little game of chess…"

"The interrogation went smoothly so the next thing we'll do is surveillance and scouting and about Othinus…" Kamijou then pulled out a grumpy Othinus, who is crossing her arms while she was actually sitting Indian style on the chest rig of the spiky haired man, "There she is. Oi, Othinus, don't be so grumpy there. You and Stiyl's about to play a game…"

"Hmph," Muttered the former Magic God, "If you're seriously going to try and penetrate the enemy's defense in the east, then you should have let me joined your meeting with your small band of special fighters."

Kamijou gently put down the minute magician before he responded, "I'm not sure how Rivlin or Cohen would react when they saw a doll-like figure suddenly speak. I mean, I'm already concealing your identity from the SFG alone."

"Well, you got a point, human," Othinus conceded sagely as she then sat down on the floor to play cards with the fire mage. But even before she can make her move, Stiyl suddenly asked, "By the way, Kamijou Touma, do you have some food there in the camp? I just arrived ten minutes before you two came in so to be honest, I'm feeling a bit famished…"

"Oh great," Kamijou rolled his eyes but nevertheless, he then decided to head out for a minute to look for something to give to his guest, "Just so you know, this is an international refugee community doubling as a base with large and thick concrete walls with guard towers, turrets, and anti-tank Nimrod missiles, not a restaurant so don't expect for something fancy."

"For your information as well, I'm not a picky eater and in general, I'm not fussy about anything except when it comes to Index and cigarettes," Stiyl abruptly stopped smoking to retort back calmly, "And you're sounding like a broken record..."

"Shut up…" Kamijou muttered as he set out to find some food.

* * *

Around the time that all of these was taking place, Kurata, Fujima and Rapisura, the Filipino peacekeeper, was busy walking peacefully in the parameters of the area as they all had just finished doing their tasks. Like the medical staff of Academy City, they had all been particularly tired and wanting some rest but evidently, they don't feel anything about it. Rapisura, in particular, had no particular feeling one way or another regarding his task of being with the other Filipino peacekeepers at patrolling the area of the Golan heights. It's no real surprise; the Filipino soldier had been through a year of countless gunfights and ambushes against the Communists guerillas and the Moro insurgents back in his hometown, making him even more-battle hardened than even the two Japanese guys that are with him today. Yet, something about what they heard in Kamijou Touma's room rendered all of his experiences useless as he wasn't prepared at what he heard.

""_The interrogation went smoothly so the next thing we'll do is surveillance and scouting and about Othinus…There she is. Oi, Othinus, don't be so grumpy there. You and Stiyl's about to play a game…"_

"_Hmph. If you're seriously going to try and penetrate the enemy's defense in the east, then you should have let me joined your meeting with your small band of special fighters."_

"_I'm not sure how Rivlin or Cohen would react when they saw a doll-like figure suddenly speak. I mean, I'm already concealing your identity from the SFG alone."_

"_Well, you got a point, human,"_

It was just a split second but it was enough for the brawny Rapisura, who had sharp ears, to hear it and somehow, it actually gave him creeps although he decided to keep silent about it until they have reached a commissary where they can drink small shots before the Japanese guys can relieve the Filipino of the latter's guard post.

It was at this point that Rapisura began to speak, "Guys, I heard something coming from Kamijou's room. I don't know if I'm just hearing doubles or…"

"Oh, so you heard it as well?" Fujima didn't sound surprised as he then opened his small can of beer, "I already knew that Kamijou had a male guest there since I briefly saw him but what bothers me is that what I heard is a feminine voice."

"And a tiny one at that," Kurata added, "It's as if we heard a voice of an elf or a dwarf."

"It could be but the thing is, I doubt it," Fujima replied, sipping the alcohol quietly, "I'm not a big fan of mythological creatures myself…they're just a product of the early past…"

"Just because you don't believe it doesn't mean it doesn't exist," Rapisura didn't agree with the Japanese, "Back in my hometown, I have seen a _kapre _(a big monster in Philippine mythology) smoking cigars in a banyan tree. The next thing I knew, I was already running away."

"It doesn't even convinces me a bit," Fujima coolly noted, "Well, the two possibilities is that it can be real or you're just seeing doubles."

"Are you saying that I'm hallucinating?" Rapisura frowned, quite offended by what Fujima said.

_Then I'll just have to find it out tomorrow for the sake of keeping our insanity intact. _Kurata sighed, knowing where the direction of this discussion is leading to.

* * *

Kamijou Touma was currently walking back to his room after hoarding up a plate of left-over yakiniku and rice he got from the mess hall, which still had its lights turned on. _I though I'm going to die there. _When he first got inside the mess hall, he accidentally slipped into a puddle of water that seemed to have spilled from some large pitched as it sent him sliding all the way to the kitchen where he almost ended up entering into a fiery furnace if it wasn't for a janitor who ended up breaking his trip, albeit with his mop. He only had two words for that terrible accident that almost caused his untimely death.

Such misfortune.

Immersed in his own day dreaming as he was walking under the dark blanket of the night, Kamijou did not sense the presence of someone approaching him, until they were literally right behind him. It would probably have been no surprise if he had been discovered by one of the SFG's riflemen, the nurses in Fukiyose, Himegami, Tsuchimikado, and Aogami, Misaka, Index, a certain honey-scented blonde or even Kikuchi who, considering his advanced age, might be sleeping now. In this, that was not the case and it wasn't what the young man had expected.

"My cute little kouhai?" A feminine voice called out.

As if awakening from his deep slumber, Kamijou slowly turned towards the apparent source of the voice. Indeed, a certain young woman was standing behind him. With her body build and her gracefulness in walking, some people would have mistaken her for a beach model. This was the brain of the office of Academy City's Board of Directors. The breath-taking beauty, a mysterious person, among the top students in her year, generally referred to especially by many male students of a certain high school and admirers as the "Beauty-Sempai."

_Kumokawa Seria._

After about two seconds, a heave of relief escaped from Kamijou's nose as he recognized who had come behind him, at which point, he replied to her greeting: "Oh...hello, Kumokawa-sempai." He seemed to be pretty guilty as he nearly took out his M1911 pistol in anticipation that it might be the enemy.

"You seem wrapped in deep thought as I approached you. I myself can't sleep right now so I decided to take a short walk in this little camp. By the way, what were you thinking?" inquired Kumokawa, with just a hint of teasing in her voice, "You seemed ready to fight as I saw your hands quickly reach out for your firearm."

To which Kamijou responded sheepishly, "Not really and sorry about that, senpai. I'm just used to having my gun whenever someone approaches. This is the Middle East so I hope you understand."

"No worries, my cute kouhai," Kumokawa waved both her hands, "You're a soldier so I understand."

"And about what I'm thinking, it's not much," Kamijou began to speak as they both stopped walking while the boy sat down in a nearby bench, "It's SFG stuff. It's normal for me to think deeply since it's not like we expect our jobs to be pretty much easy. In understand that half of our bodies is already buried deep down at six feet but even so, just serving our country and the world peace is already a huge achievement in our part. If only I don't need to kill though…"

_Such is to be expected of you, my cute kouhai._ Kumokawa can't help but once again feel the sensations she always felt whenever she is near the boy when she was in her third year in high school.

Suddenly, Kamijou nodded to one side of the bench: "Oh, you can have a seat if you'd like, unless you weren't planning to stay very long and you would be walking back to your room. Kikuchi-sama might be asleep at this point."

"Hmmm...then please excuse me," Kumokawa wouldn't let this rare chance pass as she moved to sit alongside him, while actually hiding her delight at being in rather close proximity to Kamijou.

For a few seconds, no further words were exchanged, until Kumokawa watched the spiky haired young man take out his M1911, put on a silencer, and randomly shot a palm tree which was a hundred feet away from them. Suddenly, one of the fruits was hit cleanly in the middle and its contents burst out. "Do excuse me for being somewhat forward, Kamijou-kun, but by any chance, are you the "Lancer" that saved Fukiyose-chan?"

Kamijou twitched at the unexpected question. _I knew I'm going to get my ass busted for it but I didn't imagine it to be like this_. He seemed to tense up for a few seconds before letting himself relax. Turning to the former Beauty Senpai, he calmly stated: "To be honest, there are not many people who have even knew who Lancer is but considering it's you, then I think you already know the answer."

"You SFG people are really so tough," Kumokawa can't help but notice the camouflage pants that her former kouhai was wearing, "So you really ended up going to the National Defense Academy of Japan? Very odd choice, considering that you're a very lovable kouhai that can't even hurt a girl's heart. But it looked like it worked out for you although it got me thinking that it was a waste for you to even join the anti-JSDF protest before."

"That was because it was my only choice to pass high school," Kamijou squirmed, not actually wanting to bring up those times again, "If it looked weird, then I'm sorry. Unlike high-ranked Espers, smart people like Fukiyose and people with connections like you, I probably wouldn't even land a low-paying job in Academy City."

"Oh no, I don't think it 'weird' at all, Kamijou-kun," Kumokawa replied, "On the contrary, while I myself prefer the more moderate Anti-Skill of Yomikawa-sensei, I consider myself open-minded enough to accept that the Japan Self-Defense Forces isn't as bad or evil as what our school teaches us. Also, do keep in mind, Kamijou-kun, that most, if not all the advance tech and the flashy stuff seen in Academy City is not the totality of what the society we have lived in is. I actually like to see you in that uniform. It gives you off the machismo charisma."

Kamijou broke into a grin. "Such wisdom is to be expected from our high school's Beauty Sempai. Actually, you looked prettier with your dress, like how Fukiyose-san looks much better in a nursing costume. With those black pumps, black skirt, and maroon uniform, you're the epitome of a woman with poise. Perhaps, if only I wasn't a misfortunate guy who is handling an SFG unit, I would be even sending a woman of beauty and brains in you the best roses and a ring…"

Whether unconsciously or intentionally, the Lancer missed the pink flush that momentarily broke out on Kumokawa's face, nor did he noticed her eyes opening wide or her short yet sharp intake of breadth upon hearing his last comment about sending her a lot of gifts. On the other hand, the Beauty Senpai's mind temporarily shut down for a few seconds at the possibility of spending time with the secret object of her affections.

_Is he?! Is he…asking me for a date?! I know he's one of the Delta Trio but he isn't someone to tease a girl like that unless his four years in the NDA changed him radically. Oh wait! I can't let Misaka-san, Fukiyose, that stupid nun, and most especially, that Mental Out, get past me! If I have to, I'll probably have to be more careful this time!_

"Uh, senpai...are you all right?" Kamijou asked, leaning in a bit close.

Something seemed to snap in Kumokawa's mind, thereby bringing her back to so-called reality, but not before she registered the young man's face closer to her own than what may transpire in a normal conversation. Taking a deep breath, she regained at least a major measure of her composure.

"Err, we were on the subject of you being in the NDA and the JSDF, weren't we?" Seria continued, doing her best to hide her flustered state. "Oh, your last comment about the JSDF and your profession in the special units, how did all those who are important to you took this news? I doubt Tsuchimikado would mind but Fukiyose and Misaka would have gone angry with it. Especially the former. Back in our younger days, she used to be the most vocal advocate about the protest in the amendment of Article Nine." It was all Kumokawa could do to avoid breaking out into laughter.

Kamijou tried his best not to cringe at the recall of the mixed reactions he had received upon letting everyone know that he is in the special forces but with a deep sigh, he replied, "Originally, aside from Index since she already knows form the start, I didn't meant to let it be known by everyone but Himegami happened to have known it already during my plebe days while the others...well, Tsuchimikado and Aogami just learned it recently when he made the distress call to save the nurses. Fukiyose…uhm…she realized the truth when she literally saw me in pure combat gear while pointing the barrel towards her captor's forehead. I'll be honest, she was shocked to actually see me after four years that I thought she suffered trauma. Prior to that fateful day, she actually thought that I'm just wandering somewhere, pondering whether to even pursue a job at the factory."

"Well, than that's a loud slap in her face. You shouldn't have saved her, then," That remark earned her a raised eyebrow from the young man, "Just kidding, my cute kouhai. But then, considering your somewhat pacifist mindset, were you all right at that time?"

"Aside from two bullets that I ate for Fukiyose, I'm alright."

"No, cutie. What I mean is, were you able to even sleep that day? You did just kill a lot of people and, from what I heard, they're all fatal shots in the head…"

"Hnnn. To be clear with you, killing anyone isn't a solution. It's just half an answer or better yet, a nonsensical method. But I guess my experiences with the NDA did slightly changed my views," Kamijou sighed, "But in those circumstances, I slept just fine and I'm not going to lose sleep over that. If it comes down to a choice between that lunatic man and Fukiyose, that's no choice at all. The only thing that I'm going to lose sleep over is how close that man could have sexually assaulted or even murdered Fukiyose and the thought that I could lose her forever if I hadn't arrived on time."

_The last sentence seems a bit… _She didn't know how to put it but she felt a sudden surge of jealousy in her hypothalamus.

"Then what about Misaka?" She decided to divert her feelings for now.

"Oh…that's the hardest part…" Kamijou grimaced as he buries his head in his hands, "She basically had the hardest time in accepting my career. First, she sneaked into Israel together with Index and second, she ended up destroying the equipment of the Filipinos. I even had to privately converse with her in order to calm her down. She's basically much better now although she still display aggressive behavior like a while back, when she threatened to shock one of my men."

"That just means she deeply cares for you as a close best friend. Well, maybe not in a civilized way but she did end up hauling her butt to Israel just to see you. I think you should give her credit for that," Kumokawa patted her cure kouhai's head.

"Thanks, senpai, but you know? I gotta go," Kamijou grimaced as he checked his military watch, "I have to deliver something in my place and I would like you to have some rest as well."

"Oh...I feel obliged to mention one last thing before I take my leave," Kumokawa said, slowly yet steadily moving closer to Kamijou than he would otherwise expect. "While you may have a point that it might be a difficult task to secure Japan's security, I'd like to suggest that you keep holding on to that feeling…Touma-chan…"

If the sudden use of his first name seemed to have the effect of momentarily paralyzing the SFG team commander into immobility, the next move on Kumokawa's part—a gentle touch of her lips upon his forehead—certainly snapped him out of it.

"Because that shows how much you loved your country. Without you, I doubt every Japanese people can feel safe on their own…"

With that parting sentence, coupled with a gentle smile, the Beauty Senpai took her departure.

It took the better part of a minute or two before Kamijou had stood up and continued to walk, all the while trying to blend in all that had transpired upon a bench under the gaze of the pale moon with her powdered stars.

* * *

The sun sneaked in through the space between the curtains, illuminating the dark room. Fukiyose Seiri stirred in her sleep, but she was awoken by a sound. It was a ring, one that she got used to hear whenever she wakes up early in the morning. She then got up, stretched her arms that revealed her fair underarms as she was wearing a tank top. With a groan, she got up anyway and stretched. After doing some basic exercises, she then headed out for a short jog in the whole base.

It was at this point where she heard what seemed to be a loud chant coming from a group of people. Turning around, she was surprised to see Kamijou Touma and the rest of the SFG operators, who are all in wearing their boonie hats, camouflage pants, athletic sneakers, and green

"We strike!" Kamijou yelled as he held a flag with the words **Special Operations Group: JSDF **as well as their insignia, a pair of Eagle wings and the Japanese flag.

"We strike!" The rest of the SFG operators chanted the song, "We who are happy and free! We soar as an eagle, loud as a bugle, Tokusen! Tokusen!"

Fukiyose's mouth dropped hilariously as all of the SFG members seemed to hardly sweat as they jog continuously while she can feel her own sweat already accumulating in her back and underarms.

"We sing!" Fujima sang.

"We sing!" All of them responded, "Greeting the night with a bang! Eating all bullets, laughing at danger! Brave, loyal, fierce, cunning!"

"Shadows to hide us! And bright star to guide us the night we roam!" Kurata was next, "No one can find us wherever we chose to roam!"

As they passed by her, Fukiyose can't believe what kind of dedication they must have to job with their assault rifles in their hands, "Their discipline is really something else." After more than thirty minutes, she and the SFG personnel both stopped jogging and at this point, she casually walked over to Kamijou, who recoiled back a bit at her sudden appearance.

"Fu-Fukiyose? You're this early?"

"Idiot. I do this since we were in high school," She faked a snarl.

"Oh? Then I guess it must have been a long time. We've been doing this kind of activity since we were cadets and this is already the easiest that we can manage," Kamijou folded the flag neatly.

"Easiest? I don't think there I anything easy on it," Fukiyose argued, "Every morning, I always wake up at five a.m. and do some daily exercises until six a.m. to keep myself healthy. I don't think that's easy, especially for someone who isn't that much dedicated."

"Well, that's too easy," Kamijou's words somehow surprised her, "Back in our plebe days, we're ordered to wake up at the reveille call and often times, three a.m. is our call time. I don't think carrying a Type 73 torpedo with eight other cadets is easy enough, especially since we don't even know if it has a live warhead or an inert one."

_They did what?! _Fukiyose felt herself getting smaller as she heard what the young man just said. _So what I'm doing now is just basically an appetizer for them...for him? _She felt very bad again for once again ridiculing the young man in front of him but at the same time, her hidden admiration for the spiky haired Kamijou just began to only go deeper and perhaps, more ingrained—and obsessive. "I see. Then I guess I will see you again at breakfast?"

"Yup but only for a short while. I have a meeting with the officers from the IDF. Seems like we're going to draw a battle plan already."

After that, they parted ways, with Kamijou and his fellow SFG operators going back in their quarters to take a shower and Fukiyose deciding to take a bath as well. At this point, the others have already woken up.

Breakfast was another entire matter. In contrast to the silent and orderly manner in which the SFG personnel and the Filipinos have eaten their food, it was all noisy from the people of Academy City as Aogami and Tsuchimikado were once again arguing back and forth on what is the best adult magazine that is in print right now while Misaka, Index, and Shokuhou were busy speaking with one another, although it's mostly about a certain spiky haired man. Speaking of the latter, it seemed that he and Fukiyose were in a hushed conversation with Himegami before the young man had hurriedly left, presumably to meet with a certain important Israeli military official.

An hour ago, it was all back to work mode as the Forehead Deluxe was now busy cleaning off a poor Syrian man's leg, which was hit by a White Phosphorus munition while Himegami was waiting for her turn to do the operations. Fukiyose decided to just leave the cleaning of the room to Tsuchimikado and Aogami, who seemed to be even becoming more useless as the days passed by. After what seemed to be a laborious task coupled with not wanting to hit some nerves, she was able to dress down the wounds as she then let Himegami then take her turn to treat an old man who just suffered a bad fall while riding a camel. Removing the surgical mask from her face, Fukiyose sat down and was about to make some tea for herself when…

"Uhm, excuse me?"

Hearing a polite feminine voice suddenly calling out to her, Fukiyose turned her head to the left and she noticed two people standing in front of her at the office of the clinic where they are conducting their medical missions. The one who called out to her was a young woman, probably in her late 20s, with brown and wavy hair and she was wearing a blue t-shirt and jeans. Her companion, a man that looks like he's in his early thirties, was wearing similar clothing. But what caught the attention of the nurse was the badge and the camera equipment that they have.

"Anou…you're from the news agency of Academy City?" Fukiyose blinked in surprise.

"Exactly! We're from the Academy City Today's media network and we're actually sent here to cover the medical mission of Academy City! I'm Nanjo Yumiko and this is Minami Taro! Nice to meet you!" The girl slightly bowed while the boy just smiled.

"Uh…nice to meet you. I'm Fukiyose Seiri from the medical staff of Academy City. What can I do for you?" She asked as politely as possible.

"Well, we do want to hear your thoughts about what you think about this mission," Nanjo smiled as Minami then held the camera, "First of all, what can you say about this humanitarian help being provided by Academy City?"

"Well…it was a good idea and at the same time, it helps us extend a helping hand to those in need," Fukiyose replied in all honesty while keeping herself calm, "While anyone can say that it's just a duty enforced upon us, we're glad that for once, we are able to meet other people who greatly needs help."

"That was so sweet of you, Fukiyose-san!" Nanjo complimented before Minami's frown suddenly made the brunette bite her tongue, "I mean is, that was great. Okay, what are some of the challenges that you faced while being currently deployed here?"

"Nothing much. Maybe we were a little bit homesick since we're not really used to be away from our homes and love ones but we're managing to hold on," Fukiyose nervously smiled. _Is this finished now?_

"And lastly, since we've talked about challenges, let's talk about the recent kidnapping incident," Suddenly, Nanjo brought up a topic that Fukiyose didn't expect to hear while she was being interviewed about their medical mission, "We've receive information that you happened to be one of the victims that were abducted by armed elements in the attack. Is that correct?"

The Forehead Deluxe only nodded, not knowing where this was going.

"Since you were all saved by the timely arrival of Anti-Skill, do you have a message to them?" Nanjo smiled genuinely as she held out the mini-microphone nearer to the mouth of Fukiyose.

All the two media crew got was silence.

"Uhm…Fukiyose-san…"

"Can you repeat the question…"

"Uh…ok…what will you say to the Anti-Skill officials since they have sent authorities just in time to save…"

"Hnn. I have nothing to say since I don't owe them anything…"

There was a sudden drop of the temperature as Fukiyose's sharp tongue sent horrified expressions in the face of the two.

"Uhm…what do you mean…Fukiyose-san…"

"First of all, it's not the Anti-Skill who had arrived to save us all," Fukiyose began to calmly explain, "But it was the special operating unit of the JSDF that came to our rescue and in fact, their team leader happened to be my former classmate. It's not that I'm discrediting the Anti-Skill officials but their personnel had just arrived when we were all safely brought to this camp. I'm not a fan of the guys in green myself but I think the credit should go to the JSDF this time…"

"W-Well, Fukiyose-san…" Nanjo looked like she was suddenly under panic control, "I don't meant to be mean but can you just say in front of everyone that it was the Anti-Skill who saved you? I mean…it's for the sake of the publicity of our beloved city and…"

Now, this clearly incensed the nurse as she angrily slams the table in their side, "And why would I do that?!" She raised her voice, clearly taking displeasure, "First of all, why would I twist the facts just to satisfy you two? Second, you're journalists! Shouldn't you report what is the truth?!"

At this point, Minami decided to take over as he then pulled out what looked like an envelope filled with a wad of paper bills, "Fukiyose-san, why don't we find a compromise and we work this out?" He then handed out the envelope, "We can pay you a large amount of money as long as you retract what you just—"

_Thump!_

This finally set off the Forehead Deluxe as she slaps the envelope away and as a result, all the paper bills were seen flying around the room, "And now, you're bribing your way through this?! You can eat up all the money you want but this is something I can't even stomach to witness! What's wrong with you two that you're reluctant to show what is the truth?!"

"Fukiyose-san, th-the way you spoke, it seemed that you're defending the JSDF," Nanjo's voice was shivering, "We all know that the reputation of the Jieitai is questionable at best and it might reflect on Academy City negatively since the city was once a major hub for the anti-war demonstrations years ago. Think about…"

"And you think this is honorable?!" Fukiyose angrily points at the scattered money which Minami was hurriedly trying to pick up, "If this is how you do things behind the scenes, then it's best if you all shut down…"

"I guess you're a traitor…like that classmate you just mentioned!" Minami suddenly cried as he just finished picking up the money, "What did those men in green make you eat that you're saying things against the city that educated and fed you?! Besides, the reality is that business is business. It's the reali—"

He wasn't able to finish what he's about to say as all of the sudden, the shorter Fukiyose landed a whipping slap into his right cheek. "Say that one more time and I won't hesitate to beat you up here!" She screamed as one by one, the office was suddenly beginning to fill with other people from the clinic. Among those witnesses were Himegami, Tsuchimikado, and Aogami, who can only stare incredulously at what their classmate just did.

"I can sue you for public assault!" Minami yelled as he held on to his cheek.

"Fine, do it!" The Forehead Deluxe growled, "So that I can also file a case against you for unethical journalism!"

"Hey, what's going on here?!" Suddenly, Yomikawa came rushing into the scene with Tessou to act as pacifiers in the now-ugly tension.

"Sensei, it's just a pair of corrupt media people trying to bribe me," Fukiyose felt she needed to get away from this place to calm herself down as all of the sudden, she turned around and began to walk away.

"Eh, Fukiyose, where' ya goin?" Tsuchimikado asked.

"To some place where I can cool down…"

* * *

An hour later, an engrossed Fukiyose Seiri was seen in the firing range being used by Anti-Skill while wearing a pair of goggles and shooting earmuffs.

In short, she was busy venting away all her anger by literally firing them away with a firearm that she borrowed from the keeper of the firing range. It became a strange way for her to past some time although it's not surprising that she missed nearly half of her target because this was her first time to actually fire a gun and she only got rudimentary instructions from the keeper.

If anything, she's thankful that Anti-Skill actually allowed Academy City personnel to use the firing range as some form of a past time.

"For someone with a very innocent face, you don't look too bad to hold a gun…"

The moment the young woman finished her rounds, she was surprised to see someone else actually standing beside her since she was just all by herself moment ago. "But your form is very awful. Terrible, even." The girl winced as she realized who this person was.

It was Kikuchi Kouji.

The World War II veteran, the master and father-figure of his former classmate.

"Uhm…Kikuchi-san…what are you doing here?" She asked politely as she puts down the goggles while untying her hair back to its original free-flowing form.

"Nothing much. Just walking around while reflecting. You?"

"Something happened back in the clinic so I decided to go here for the moment," Fukiyose replied as she was busy scanning the old man from head to toe. _For someone that old, he doesn't look like he's losing his strength. It must have been because of what he's eating. _

There was a momentary silence before Fukiyose then spoke again, "Uhm…I take it that you were the former shooting teacher of my former classmate…that is Kamijou Touma…"

Hearing the name, Kikuchi suddenly laughed like how Santa Claus laughs, "I see. I see, young daughter. Then I guess it's nice to meet you," He then motioned at the gun she used and then he began to speak like a father, "You know, the way you shoot reminds me of how your former classmate used to shoot back in the military academy…"

"Eh? Really?"

"Well, not as bad as you are but not in the way that I call it a gunslinger," Kikuchi explained, "In holding guns, it should come naturally for a sharpshooter. Although I guess Kamijou was talented enough that he can hit clean shots even when he didn't need to look. Well, about you, you're a nurse so it's understandable that you won't be able to take a good shot at this moment."

Fukiyose merely nodded.

"Well, since I wouldn't stay here for so long, then I guess you can join me every afternoon when your duty ends until the time I have to come back to Japan?" Suddenly, the war veteran made an offer she find it hard to resist, "That is, if you accept spending time with me since the way you think might not be aligned with mine and vice versa."

"Kikuchi-san, if I spend some few minutes with you, does that mean that you can teach me?" Fukiyose asked, sounding a bit hopeful.

"If you're staying here with me in the afternoon, then I don't see any reason why I shouldn't? I know that death is actually closer to me than ever so I think imparting my skills to a few more people won't be bad. Young women like you should learn how to defend themselves, after all," Kikuchi nodded, "Another interesting fact is that you can become a much more polished shooter than Kamijou actually because since you're a nurse…excuse me for what I'll say…you know which body parts are critical enough to hit it, unlike Kamijou or even me since we're not physicians at all."

Fukiyose nodded.

"Well then, if you don't have anything to do at the clinic, then we can start with the crash course," The old man then took the pistol, loaded it and quickly made the shot even without the earmuff, "See that? We don't even need earmuffs or shooting goggles. Just plain mastery on it. And sooner, you'll get the hang of it."


	21. Sayeret Matkal

_Replies for reviews_

_Whwsms – Yeah, thanks again, author-san. _

_Mr. X – 1) I don't know. I'll see. Maybe soon. 2) Only a certain part of Academy City is, not really as a whole. Speaking of propaganda, I personally think that the "work hard to attain high rank" is low-key propaganda in itself with the existence of the Parameter List. Well, that's how I see it. 3) It would have been interesting 4) Hmmm…_

_JCarrasco – Thanks_

_Guest00 – To be honest, I didn't intended it to be that way but either way, it turned out surprisingly good_

_Fortitude501 – Maybe…who knows lol_

_Fencer29 – A nurse who knows how to hit the critical part. Yes, it would make an interesting sight._

_Anon – …And unlikely heroes would emerge_

* * *

On the same day that a certain Iron Wall Girl had been taken under the wings of a World War II veteran, the operators and officers from both the side of the Japanese Special Forces Group and their Israeli counterparts in the Sayeret Matkal held a series of meeting concerning on how to corner a certain gunrunner that has been making illegal dealings not only in the most volatile parts of the Middle East but also among the Yakuza and other black market dealers in Japan. Kamijou Touma sighed as he faced his counterpart, Team Leader Gilad Cohen, in the table. The Israeli officer removed his dark shades as an indication of respect towards Kamijou, who had Fujima on his side while Cohen brought along a certain ground tactician surnamed Agassi and a rifleman Cohen identified as Yonatan.

"_Sir, to tell you frankly, this is the first time since 1948 that we will be bringing in foreign troops although I don't think it should be an issue at this point…_" Cohen began to explain as he puts down his IWI Jericho 941 pistol on the table, "_But the since you're all from another country's special forces, I suggest that you remove any insignia from your uniforms before you all jump into action._"

"_We have already taken that into consideration,_" Fujima sighed, already expecting the issue of foreign presence in a war-torn area like the West Bank to be brought up, "_But are we free to use your vehicles since we can't bring in our own armored fighting vehicles and that the latter is under the peacekeeping unit of the JSDF, not ours._"

"_Yes, you may use our vehicles and that is with the aide of our troops. If you're planning to request it, we'll also allow you to use our training facilities as well as some of our equipment in exchange for the captured man and the materiel that you have surrendered to us,_" Cohen was pleased to know that he would be working with the commander of a special unit that just captured an vital piece in trying to finally capture an international criminal, "_Although it's not yet safe to immediately raid Nablus at this time. We needed to wait for a few more weeks before we go there undetected although we have scouts who are now scouring and are putting the area under recon._"

Kamijou snorted at the deadline set by the Israeli commander, "_That long? And we're supposed to catch him without any strings attached?_"

"_Sir, this isn't like the rescue mission that you Japanese SOGs had done. Entering Nablus alone is already a challenging task since that's a territory legally under the Palestinian National Authority, not the Israeli government although it's agreed that the IDF can maintain a presence there but it's only a small force,_" Cohen explained, not wanting to make it sound like he was pressuring their Japanese counterparts on this mission, "_Rest assured, there will be no strings attached on this one. One thing you should know though, this English gunrunner doesn't stay there permanently but is always a regular fixture in the black market of smuggled arms and parts, according to our undercover team. Plus, they are weird. He and his men even wear those strange black stone-like talismans in their necks as protection against bullets._"

"_It's just a placebo for them to feel safe whenever a gunfire happens_," Kamijou sugarcoated his words as he knew what those talismans are capable of based from what Stiyl had told him nights ago, "_Plus, the one thing we should fear is their technicals and the ZPU series or even the infantry KPV attached to their trucks_."

First entering service as an infantry weapon in 1949, the **KPV heavy machine gun** is a Soviet-designed 14.5×114mm-caliber heavy machine gun whose infantry version was taken out of production because it was too big and heavy. It was later redesigned for anti-aircraft use, because it showed excellent results as an anti-aircraft gun, with a range of 3,000 meters horizontally and 2,000 meters vertically against low flying planes. It was used in the ZPU series of anti-aircraft guns. Its size and power also made it a useful light anti-armor weapon on the BTR series of vehicles and the BRDM-2 scout car. Meanwhile, the **ZPV** is a family of towed anti-aircraft gun based on the KPV. The ZPU has seen widespread use by all sides in the Lebanese Civil War, 2011 Libyan civil war and Syrian Civil War, often mounted on pickup-truck technicals with plenty of videos showing the gun engaging different air and ground targets.

"_As long as we take them out by our anti-armor team, then they're not a threat to us,_" Cohen assured Kamijou as the Israeli then takes interest at his sidearm, "_You Japanese guys still use the M1911?_"

"_In an official capacity, no_," Kamijou shook his head as he takes out his own M1911 pistol to compare it with the Jericho pistol, "_The regular JSDF opted to use the lighter 9mm Parabellum as it is actually lighter than the .46 ACP but in terms of special ops, we actually find the latter round better because it had the stopping power that we favor over lightness and magazine output._"

"_We Israelis have a much more different approach, though,_" Cohen chuckled as he grabs his dark shades back, "_Since this is urban warfare, our doctrine involves us to run from one direction to another and that means constant moving. Therefore, a lighter load is a must for us and that's why most of our imported firearms, especially the M4 carbine, are being modified such as barrels being cut down, rifle stocks being replaced with smaller ones, and Trijicon reflex sights are being attached instead of the standard iron sights._"

"_We used both the ACOG and the reflex sights, depending on the mission_," Kamijou shrugged, "_But often times, we use the iron sights simply because they're much simpler and they don't give away our positions unlike the red-dot ACOG scopes._"

Cohen waved off Kamijou's statement, "_Nah, it still depends on who uses it, though. By the way, I believe that our official business should have been done some few minutes ago but hopefully, we can give you some updates on the recon in Nablus. Tomorrow, a few Sayeret Matkal officers would be coming here to train with you in preparation for the upcoming raid._" He then stood up and offered his right hand to Kamijou, who took it as a sign of diplomacy.

"_Yeah, thank you, Sir Cohen,_" Kamijou shook hands with the Israeli officer before the three men left, with Fujima opening the door for them. As the three Israelis and Fujima had finally left, Kamijou then frowned as he then called out to a certain someone that is busy listening to their conversation.

"Oi, Misaka…Index…you two brats may come out now…"

"Wh-Who are you calling a brat?!" Misaka, who emerged from behind an emergency exit door, angrily retorted, "And it seems that you and those guys have an interesting talk."

"Yeah. Interesting that it's dangerous," Kamijou snorted as he diverted his sight away from both Misaka and Index, "Either way, tomorrow will be another interesting day but that was because there are certain interesting people that will appear in tomorrow's joint training…" _Or in reality, I would be able to see lots of Israeli girls with large boobs and as a healthy young man, I can't help but have me boner rise up. _Was left unsaid by the SFG team leader but he just clamped down his mouth.

But even so, Misaka seemed to have read his mind perfectly.

"Oh and who are those people?" The Railgun looked pissed off as she's ready to use her own Esper powers, "I don't think they're related to those guys, knowing it's you…"

"Oh please, it's been years since we last saw each other as students in Academy City, Misaka…" Kamijou rolled his eyes as he had become good in not exposing his nervousness through the years, "A lot of things can change in four to seven years. And I think you should change to, Index. You still think like your fifteen-year old self…"

"Touma! That's so mean of you!" Index whined as she stomps her feet, "You're still mean!"

"Well…that's kind of true…" Misaka hesitated in her speech as she crosses her arms, "I mean, you don't have to rely on your right hand which is your source of power and you became a bit ungrateful of Academy City and you were a bit hypocritical and…"

"Oh, that's so nice of you," Kamijou shrugged his shoulders in a sarcastic response, "Although the only regret I'm probably going to have in changing wholly as a person is that I have to kill and, for the records, I have already taken away one life. But on the other side, I just console myself with the fact that I got no choice but to shoot at them if they have no plans to give up or surrender and thus, they would endanger the lives of the other innocent people."

"But Touma…remember this…it's a sin to kill," Index acted like a mother lecturing her son as she even puts up her pointing finger, "So you should always act in constraint…"

"First of all Index, I always act in constraint which is why I didn't even shoot at Misaka when she started attacking here the moment you all came," Kamijou argued back, ignoring the Railgun's protests, "Second, you're free to say that when no one's pointing an AK-47 on YOUR head…"

Index huffed as she just looked away in frustration.

"Besides, shouldn't you two be in the clinic of the medical staff, especially you, Misaka?" Kamijou was baffled to see the two of them spying out his conversation with the Israelis rather than to help and learn something from the nurses that were supposed to handle her and a certain Mental Out, "I mean, you could have at least made your time more productive by being their assistant or even learning on how to cure people. That's your career, isn't it?"

_Well, yeah but I only chose it because I thought you went for nursing too. _Misaka wanted to say it but she chickened out, realizing she would lose a lot of Kamijou points if she were to do so, "Well, it's a bit boring in the clinic lately since what they're doing are some things I have already learned in class. Plus, it's more interesting to be in your own place although I'm not saying that I like the JSDF as a whole. I still stand on my old opinion…"

"Well, that's _your _opinion and now that I began to think of it, Kurata and Fujima themselves didn't really care much about what protesters or anti-JSDF guys in general say about the our organization," Kamijou breathed some life into his sad feelings, "I wished I had that kind of enthusiasm…"

"Kamijou…."

The three heard a familiar voice calling out to the spiky haired young man and they turned to see Kurata running towards their position, "Yo, team cappy!" The young man waved his hands and saluted his batch mate once he got closer to them, "We've got some interesting stuff to do for this day. Our Filipino brothers needs some help."

"Help? Why? What happened?" Immediately, adrenaline shot up into the nerves of Kamijou as he looked battle-alert.

"Nothing serious, Kamijou. Don't worry," Kurata sweatdropped when he noticed the eyes of the young man quickly goes scary in a 190 degree personality change, "It's just that, they are having their own drills and they have encountered some problems along the way so some of the JGSDF observers immediately recommended your name…"

"What the…such misfortune…" Kamijou's head went down low, realizing that he still had a lot of jobs to do for this day, "Well…then lead the way, Kurata…" The two then began to walk but they weren't even a minute from walking when the Imagine Breaker stopped and suddenly barked, "Seriously, don't you two have any plans to just go and relax in Academy City's quarters? Trust me, this military stuff is something you two won't really understand much and it could bore you two out…"

"Oh really? Then try me…" Misaka flashed a challenging grin, not really wanting to get the young man out of her sights.

"Neh, Touma, it's been a while since we had some fun. So don't even try to put me away or I'll gladly punish you…" Index flashed her fangs.

Kamijou grimaced as he decided to give in for now, "Okay, fine but stay on the sidelines. I don't exactly need the two of you to get involved in something that purely concerns us." The two girls agreed and they both continued walking. While walking, Kurata was busy chatting with Kamijou about what the latter had talked with the IDF officers and once answers and inquiries was filled on, Kurata was glad that they have a reliable ally to aid them as he himself was excited to work with the Sayeret soon. As they were about to head to the heavily-guarded gate leading to the outside of the walled base, there were dozens of armored personnel carriers and military trucks, some towing M101 howitzers, and all of them in a Philippine Army camouflage paint drab, coincidentally entering and parking on a shed near them. Once the dust settled, a battalion of Filipinos, in their combat gear and boonie hats, began to alight from their vehicles while the others began to bring out the crates of what looked to be government-issued explosives.

"Oi, Kurata, what is the meaning of this?" Kamijou wasn't notified of their arrival so he was naturally surprised.

"Oh yeah…I figured out you wouldn't know since the notification was only sent to the JGSDF peacekeeping unit here this morning but this is a normal procedure when the UN officials felt the need to put in a much stronger presence in critical areas and those Filipinos were sent here to reinforce Rapisura's unit," Kurata explained as he watched a guy began to attach a grenade launcher to his M16A2 assault rifle, "I heard Irish and Austrian troops did the same thing in Syria when they had to increase their numbers out of necessity to provide double security for the camp that they are jointly patrolling and in Iraq, it was the US and UK who did that thing. In our case, this armed base and refugee camp was jointly patrolled by both Japan and the Philippines and because this place is one of the largest that it certainly can become a self-sustaining community with the right tools, more men are needed."

"That doesn't explain why they have those," Misaka rudely pointed to a certain 105mm howitzer now being towed outside by hand.

Kurata smirked, "If Academy City's Anti-Skill basically let a Level 5 run around here on a basis of helping out, I don't see why the Filipinos wouldn't bring their big guns here," he enjoyed the reaction of Misaka, who simply sulked after hearing what the batch mate of Kamijou said, "Besides, after an incident four years back when lightly-armed infantry was constantly harassed, they decided not to take any chances anymore and they're forced to bring in heavy artillery as well."

"Okay, I get it so shut up…" Misaka grumbled underneath her breath.

"Besides," Kamijou noticed an infantryman with a civet cat patch in his camouflage uniform, "I didn't expect that this second batch would have the Scout Rangers and elements of the Light Reaction Regiment having their presence felt here…"

In the Philippines, the presence of both the communist guerillas, the longest Maoist-linked rebellion at present, and Islamist fighters had caused some far-flung provinces to remain under conflict. Due to that, the Philippine government had formed the 1st Scout Ranger Regiment in the 50s to combat the first generation of leftist guerillas. Known as the **Scout Rangers**, it is a Philippine Army special forces unit specializing in anti-guerrilla jungle warfare, raids, ambushes, close quarters combat, urban warfare and sabotage. It is said that in the whole of Asia, they're currently the best anti-guerilla unit. On the other hand, the **Light Reaction Regiment **is the premier counter-terrorist unit of the Philippine Army. Due to its specialization in counter-terrorism operations and its formation with the assistance of American advisers, the Light Reaction Regiment has been sometimes referred to as the Philippines' Delta Force.

"The SFG of Japan is like the in-between of the Scout Rangers and the LRR," Kurata scratched his head as he watched another Scout Ranger began to load his M14 battle rifle with cartridges from the crates, "By the way, have you met one during your brief tenure as an exchange student in the Philippine Military Academy? I heard from Rapisura that their superintendent is a former Scout Ranger himself "

But just before Kamijou can reply, somebody else just beat him to it.

"HEH…HEEH…HEEEEEEH?!" Misaka grew hysterical as she holds her own head with her two hands, "It can't be! Tell me it's not true! Not only is this idiot as special forces team leader and a military academy valedictorian but also an exchange student is too good to be true!"

Kurata can only chuckle as Kamijou can only look at the Level 5 incredulously, "Well _excuse me_. It wasn't exactly something I sought off but due to my usual misfortune, that one guy that was supposed to go to Philippines and Vietnam had an injury and they decided to ship me out for two separate weeks instead."

"Wait…two countries…that means…" Misaka realized this she didn't even yet know what wholly transpired during the four-year military academy days of the young man.

"Yeah. He became an exchange student. Although I do sympathize with him at the fact that it's quite a hassle when you have to juggle your duties at your own academy," Kurata sighed, remembering those good old days, "But going back, he did become a week-long observer at both the Philippine Military Academy and the Lê Quý Đôn Technical University. It was supposed to be three weeks since it's the latter that the NDA had some close cooperation in terms of training and research. But…well…after Kamijou accidentally fired an RPG into a nearby bust of Ho Chi Minh, he was already given the boot…"

"That was because the rocket propellant misfired so I didn't have time to react immediately when the rocket started flying," Kamijou was basically blaming his misfortune again for a certain incident that he felt it wasn't that important to be talked about right now, "Besides, it's not like I want to go to an overseas program abroad…"

"But at least, you learned something," Kurata yapped, not really liking their team leader's complaints, "It's not every that we can go abroad for free…"

While they were all walking and chatting, Misaka can only laugh in a rather maniacal way as she wanted to tune out of what the two SFG operators are talking about. "Please…somebody tell me it's a prank…." It was beginning to scare Index, who compared the face of the Level 5 Railgun to a she-demon ready to devour any men that her earthly desires crave for.

"Neh, short hair…" The silver haired nun began to speak.

"Yes?" Suddenly, Misaka perked up her head, hoping that finally, someone can finally tell her that everything has been nothing but an illusion meant to make her suffer, "So it has been a joke, silver sister?"

"Actually…" Index looked happy, "I remember Touma taking me to downtown Hanoi before he went to study. I remember the Banh Mi that I tasted. It was super delicious!"

All the reaction she got from the brunette was a loud thud accompanied by a soul coming being filtered out of the nose of the stunned Railgun.

* * *

After walking for nearly ten minutes, the quartet is finally outside of the walled compound and throngs of M113 APCs and lined 105mm howitzers is what greeted the eyes of the spiky haired young man as the four of them reached a makeshift command post consisting of a simply long table littered with laptops, electronic devises, as well as equipment used by artillery observers. Kamijou even noticed a Philippine Army M113 APC carrying peacekeepers on top of the vehicle.

"Tank desant, huh? I didn't even know they use that tactic," Kamijou was genuinely surprised as he watches the Blue Helmets disembark from the armored vehicles, "It's a tactic I only read from the Soviet books…"

Tank desant is a military combined arms tactic, where infantry soldiers ride into an attack on tanks, then dismount to fight on foot in the final phase of the assault. This differs from infantry troops merely riding on tanks as a form of ad-hoc transportation. Desant is also a Russian general term for airborne or parachute drops and naval infantry amphibious landing operations.

"It's also used by the US although it's very rare," Kurata pointed out, "For quick extractions, some soldiers really prefer to stay outside of an APC rather than inside because they wanted to move away from their vehicles quickly in case an ambush happens. Unless you're fighting a guerilla force that doesn't use RPGs or landmines, then it's somehow justified although it isn't normally done during training days. And the fact that this is only a peacekeeping mission makes themselves feel secured."

"Secured behind artillery, yeah right…" Kamijou felt like it was paradoxical as the first 105mm round was heard being lobbed into the target and seconds later, it had impacted on the ground, "By the way, the M101 howitzer and the M113 APCs are two icons from the Vietnam war, right? I guessed that showed how reliable those systems are…"

"The 105 mike-mike is still good enough for small-scale targets like urban siege. The ACAV is still being used although currently, they're being replaced by heavier and better-armored APCs," Kurata explained then motioned to the one being used by their Filipino counterparts, "That particular bush taxi is A1 variant, the same one commonly used during the Vietnam War."

"Actually, only a few knows this but currently, all the ex-ARVN M113s are being used by the present People's Army of Vietnam," Kamijou added.

"What? Are you sure about that?"

"I've seen one myself in Cao Bằng during a field demonstration," the spiky haired young man began to recall one APC perfectly running in condition despite the age, "I'm surprised that despite the long arms sanctions, they managed to maintain it very well, considering the they're the ones they captured from the South Vietnamese Army. What I have seen is an amalgam of Eastern and Western bloc system; they replaced the Ma Deuce with the DShK and they installed an SPG-9 on the rear side. I heard they there are even a few PAVN M113s that are converted into mortar carriers. A good cheap vehicle for fire support and bunker-busting assault…"

_I hope the day comes when I finally began to understand all the military references of this idiot. _Misaka was feeling both out-of-place and silently awkward as she can only listen to them in pure exasperation.

"Oh, you both have reached here…"

"Tanaka, you're here too?" Kamijou spotted Tanaka Daiki sitting in one of the sides of the command table as he seemed to be pretty much trying to make sense of everything that is happening around here, "But I thought there's a problem…"

"Well, not really a problem but it's more like they wanted to see how our skills can get us far enough," Tanaka chuckled as he then points to an anti-aircraft gun now sitting idly among the bigger guns available, "The thing is, no one is using that Bofors despite bringing it in and we don't know if it still in working condition."

The Bofors 40 mm gun, often referred to simply as the Bofors gun, is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed in the 1930s by the Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors. It was one of the most popular medium-weight anti-aircraft systems during World War II, used by most of the western Allies as well some captured systems being used by the Axis powers. A small number of these weapon systems remain in service to this day, and saw action as late as the Persian Gulf War.

"As of the moment, urban warfare between a mixed forced of ISIL and moderate Syrian rebels and the SAA is still ongoing but today, some of the peacekeepers from the other bases are reportedly experiencing from mortar attacks and machine gun fire coming from the warring sides and well…we're not taking any chances since this place is only hours away from Lebanon and Syria."

"Ah…so they brought this whole thing here…wait, what are we supposed to do, then?" Kamijou asked as he noticed Tanaka sit on one of the two seats of the Bofors.

"What else? We're going to try to fire this thing…"

"That's it?"

"Yeah, so you try to fire the gun, Kamijou. I'll be the reloader," Kurata then began to pick up some ammunition on the clip and began to press it down. Sighing, Kamijou then sat down on the other seat, which was intended for moving the barrel up and down as well as the firing position. Misaka and Index can only watch with weird expressions as Kamijou began to use the hand wheels to control the elevation of the Bofors.

Since they were going to use a Bofors, a number of Filipino infantrymen, some of them wearing the signature UN blue helmet, began to gather around them as one Filipino officer talked to Kurata, who nodded and pointed towards a flying drone flying overhead. As soon as Tanaka was able to swing the whole system to the right, Kamijou began to step on the foot trigger. The loud crackle was heard spewing out of the barrel as instantly, a line of what looked like lightning shot out but it barely missed the drone, which was flying over their heads. The sound, though, was very loud that both Misaka and Index had to cover their ears since they weren't used to this kind of sound.

"I really never fired this kind of weapon before," Kamijou muttered as Kurata was reloading the clips, "Well, I did try the Type 91 MANPAD back at Camp Narashino but this one's different…I do hope nothing bad will happen…"

Suddenly, as he stepped on the foot trigger, the ejection port didn't even budge as nothing came out from the firing. Then suddenly, the barrel violently began to shake.

Luckily, Kamijou and Tanaka were both able to get off their seats in time as the violent shaking didn't last and it was replaced by a loud, thunderous explosion that sent everyone dropping to the ground.

_I should have kept my mouth shut. Such misfortune. _Kamijou muttered to himself as he watched the Bofors now began to explode further on the inside as the ammunition clip was disintegrating with it shells that were popping like firecrackers.

* * *

Somewhere on the northern part of the world, a woman with a slender figure and clothed in denim jacket, shirt, and ripped jeans has been busy standing somewhere on a hill dotted with green patches of grasses. For some time now, this woman has been busy meditating in silence as she sat down on the smooth flooring of the hill and she began to close her eyes and let her mind drift among the chirping of the wind made bigger by the surrounding environment that is very peaceful, both literally and figuratively.

As she sat there in silence, she began to comtemplate on a few topics she would rather not discuss it with others. _It's been some years, huh? It's been some years since I last saw him… _She breathed in and out as she didn't let all the negatives things that happened in her past affect her. She then decided to enjoy the fresh air entering through her nostrils as she lets out a genuine smile. As she was doing so, she puts down her own katana and sat down like a child waiting for her playmate in a park.

It was only through a sudden ring in her own device that she suddenly snapped out of her stupor and it was a bit of a bad timing since it nearly made the slim lady nearly cut down her phone as it disturbed what was supposed to be her time to take a rest.

"What is it?" Her cool anger didn't do anything to abate her foul mood.

"_I just wanted you to know…we have found the traitor…_"

The woman suddenly stopped her underneath grumblings as she then turned serious with a hint of curiosity, "How so? He's very hard and tricky to track down. Plus, it would be best if this would be done in a clean manner."

"_Don't worry…_" The man on the other line replied, brimming with gruff confidence, "_Me and Kamijou Touma will take care of this…_"

"Kamijou…Touma…that boy…" She didn't know what to think of this.

"_Easy there. He's not any more the boy of high school age or thinking although the latter's still arguable but he's in a career that even you wouldn't expect from him,_" the man replied coolly, "_But with that being said, you don't need to send the whole Amakusa Church or the agents of Necesarius. Just you and Itsuwa, just in case anything fails._"

The woman blinked before she nodded.

"I see. Anything else?"

There was a dead silent moment before the man replied again, "_Just be careful. There are also Academy City elements here. As for the other details, I'll speak to you when you get here…_"

The call ended and the woman peacefully folded it back.

_This would be another interesting encounter. _


	22. Prelude

_Prelude_

The sounds of a 120 mm tank gun had shattered what was supposed to be a peaceful dawn in a certain location at Kiryat Shmona.

Yomikawa Aiho, who had drunk so much beer last night when she had a night-out with all of the girls from the Academy City side, groaned as she wriggled under her bed sheets, her speech slurred as she tried to stay put and tried to sleep back. But in a few minutes, another batch of 120 mm tank cannons finally put her out of her journey to lala-land as she woke up in a frustrated manner that she nearly kicked Tsuzuri, who was sleeping beside her, out of irritation. Wearing only her white camisole and her blue jogging pants, she quickly blitzed pass the doors like she was looking for a fight as she growls, "What in the world is happening?!"

"Oh, Yomikawa-sensei is awake…"

Blinking at the voice, the Anti-Skill lieutenant turned to the right to realize that she wasn't actually outside alone early in the morning.

"Well, we cannot sleep anymore as this ruckus started happening at four am," Kumokawa, who is in her sleeping attire, simply yawned as she made the decision to walk with her former sensei, "Since you're here Kumokawa-sensei, we might as well walk together. It seems that my cute little kouhai has been drilling intensively with his men and the guys from the IDF."

"The IDF?" Yomikawa looked around her to see that it was still pitch dark and that the little community was still in deep slumber. Since the time that both the JSDF peacekeeping force, Kamijou's Special Forces Group, the medical staff of Academy City and the Anti-Skill has been brought in to help in the international peacekeeping project (although the SFG's true mandate is far different from the public memo), the once little and two separated garrisons were and refugee camps, slowly but surely, being redeveloped into one, single quasi-community that, if approved and supported by the Northern District of Israel, could be converted into a town or a kibbutz within a few years.

_Seems fun. _Kumokawa chuckled somehow, every effort that the former students of a certain high school have borne fruit.

They walked pass the deserted quarters and small shops built by evacuees from the neighboring Syrian and Iraq and soon, they found themselves outside of the walled compound and as soon as they were outside, they were more surprised to see few and familiar faces sitting down on a pavilion outside the base as they were all busy watching what looked like a graceful display of firepower and tracer rounds.

"Huh? You're all awake at this early hour?" Yomikawa skeptically raised her eyebrows as she saw her former students in high school as well as Misaka, Shokuhou, and Index all staring back at her, like questioning what she was doing there in the first place.

"It was too loud. Well, not too loud for the other people here who got used to strife in their lands," Tschimikado shrugged, "But Kami-yan himself said that this is just normal activity for them."

Fukiyose Seiri was dripping in sweat, obviously having gone to jog although it was much earlier than her usual routine, "I briefly saw Kamijou and his comrades in their full battle gear although I don't know what really is happening. Maybe it's really a drill as Tsuchimikado said…"

_Whiiiizzzzz!_

They were all silenced by a tracer round far away from them but clearly visible striking a target. It was pitch dark but through the illuminating rounds and practice explosives, Tsuchimikado can see that they weren't actually practicing in an open field but instead, there were rows and groups of what looked like to be makeshift structures as they were being silhouetted by the bright lights coming from the blazing barrels of every type of gun being fired.

Now, Fukiyose won't claim to be a military strategist nor an expert since she was, by profession, a medical nurse but it's been some days or weeks since they have all been assigned in this particular place and by now, she isn't any more surprised by any type of small arms drill that they conduct regularly but this type of drill was a first for her. In fact, it was conducted in a way that bystanders were only able to feel it when the guns starting barking. _Was that a tank? _She asked herself as she saw a strange-looking tank firing away.

"Oi, you guys! What are you doing here?!"

Being the elder of the group, Yomikawa whiplashed her head behind the back to see who the fool that was calling out to them was. But to her dismay, it was actually a familiar figure—or at least, familiar to a certain spiky haired guy.

"It's still too early. Go back to your quarters!" Rapisura, the Filipino guy, held a flashlight to clearly see their faces and didn't even flinch when she saw the angry expression of Misaka. Clutching an M16A2 assault rifle in his chest rig, he made it clear that he meant business, "It's very dangerous here. One wrong move and you could find yourselves in the risk of being hurt in those ricocheting ammo!"

Misaka then sharply turned to Yomikawa and demanded, "Hey, Yomikawa-sensei, do something! You're also an officer here and…"

"Baka! Let's just follow!" Tsuchimikado motioned to the rifle he was holding and it clearly showed that he wasn't joking, "You don't want to get embroiled again on another conflict that you usually start because of your stupid mouth…"

Clamping her large mouth, Misaka only followed grudgingly as they all slowly turned and began to walk back to the entrance. The Railgun threw dirty glances at Rapisura, who just stared back emotionlessly while he fanned himself using his boonie hat. After that have all been ushered inside, the group then began to walk silently back to their inn and they were supposed to be returning there in peace until…

"So…why are you still following us?" Index asked a suddenly appearing Rapisura, who was actually following them inside as he lights up a cigarette.

"What a creepy guy…" Himegami whispered to herself but since no one else was talking aside from Index, it was heard and being an NDA graduate as a foreign student, Rapisura can understand Japanese quite fluently and he just sighed when he heard what was supposed to be a snide comment against him.

"Look, I wasn't trying to hit you or stalk you or anything else," The Filipino blew his cigarette as he clarifies himself before he gets called a perv, "It was actually Kamijou who asked me to intercept and watch over you all as according to him, you all had the tendency to just show up at his side whenever something. In short, I was just doing him a favor…"

Yomikawa didn't know how to react on that one. Surely, this was the first time something like this happened. She knew it because prior to this, Fukiyose used to be able to jog even without being questioned by the UN-mandated units there. Heck, the normal JSDF infantry lets them do what they want as long as it isn't beyond breaking some rules or hurting other people. "Look here, what is the meaning of this? Why would my former student do that all of the sudden without any consultation from us?"

Rapisura can only scratched his head as he felt like he's going to have a migraine from having to deal with them, "Look. I know it's very normal for all of you to see small arms drills in the past but today, it's just different. From what I heard, it involved some units from the IDF whose identities are even being withheld in public and their armored units are…let's just say it's not what you're used to seeing here in this community. I don't think Kamijou would want all of you to get in trouble for suspected charged of snooping or anything similar."

Hearing the reasoning of Filipino peacekeeper, the guys let it sink in their heads although Fukiyose noticed that something seemed off with what's happening around her, "You know? This is far too much, then. The Anti-Skill and the guys in the JSDF are enough to keep us safe. Why the need for you to do a very menial job?"

_I'm sorry, Kamijou. I don't think they would be satisfied until they learn that a few days, you would be raiding Nablus together with the IDF. _Rapisura sighed as he then decided to give out a bit of an answer, "Well, do you remember the time that you got abducted by those guys out there?"

"Well…yeah…" Fukiyose somehow grew uncomfortable with the question. She didn't want to relive those memories again. "It was Kamijou who saved me after all so I couldn't forget that."

Rapisura nodded as he then calmly faced the group, "Kamijou wouldn't forgive himself if someone, especially a former high school classmate like all of you, would die because he wasn't able to save them. He couldn't bear to lose Fukiyose-san when they already lost Obito…all because of Kamijou's single mistake…"

Something about the story made Kumokawa interested as she then opened her mouth in curiosity, "Uhm, excuse me sir but who is this Obito that you're talking about? I don't think I even heard his name from my cute little kouhai…"

"Yeah, who is this Obito?" For the first time, Shokuhou Misaki felt inclined to ask because she, too, was genuinely curious as to who is this Obito that Rapisura was talking about.

The Filipino guy snorted, realizing that _he _didn't really intended to tell them a particular dark incident during their first few weeks as fresh graduates, "I guess he didn't want you to know for now since it's a bit…personal and complicated. Besides, it's not my story to tell."

By the time he was finished talking, they were already back in the inn where all of them stayed.

"Well, we're back to where you all came from," Rapisura made a gesture to signal the group that he isn't going to stay for so long as he lights ups another cigarette, "I'm not here to babysit all of you for clarity's sake if that's what you're thinking but neither can you make another attempt to go out outside at this point. It's off-limits to people who had no involvement in whatsoever business they are in."

He then waved lamely at them as a sign that he would continue his rounds as a patrolman and as he did, he then turned his back, his feets kicking up a few particles of sand in the air as he stomps his burned cigarette and was apparently about to burn out a new one as his left hand is on the pockets. Everyone watched to see his shadow and silhouette disappear every second that he takes to get out of their sight and in no more than two minutes, his figure cannot be seen anymore amidst the environment, which is still blanketed in its pitch black sky.

"What a very dutiful man…" Kumokawa was the first to shatter the silence that was beginning to engulf them, "He sounds very much like Kamijou-kun."

"But still…flip-flops…really?" Misaka can't help but compare him and his fellow Filipino peacekeepers to their (former) resident idiot's SFG and even the regular JSDF peacekeepers, "I mean, I don't mean to sound a bit judgmental but…"

"I have to side with Misaka-san on this one, though," Fukiyose still cannot remember that the first they met the Filipino infantryman, her OCD tendencies flared up the moment his bare hands touched the fried rice and eggs.

"Seiri, I think you're missing something more important than Rapisura-san's hygiene or their old equipment," Himegami squeaked as she interrupts her best friend, "Is it weird that Kamijou-kun or even Fujima-san or Kurata-kun didn't mention a guy named Obito?"

"Well, normally no…" Tsuchimikado mused, "But since it's Kami-yan, we can't help but be curious…"

"I had to admit that it intrigued me somehow when he brought up my brief abduction," Fukiyose replied with a blank face, "And it even aroused my interest because of the fact that Kamijou didn't brought it up. Must have been too sensitive for him to talk about…"

And before they all knew it, the first rays of the sun began to bloom from the distant place the naked eye can see.

* * *

Misaka Tabigake isn't one that you can call a normal father.

A doting daughter to a certain Railgun and a lovely husband to his one and only Misuzu, the man with a chubby build and thick beard was someone that a random stranger can call an unorthodox businessman. Why? It's because ironically, he rarely makes money out of his self-created job of going around the world to find its flaws and correct them. Apparently, it entailed him to travel the world and act as some sort of "consultant" to people. This job is to apparently create money, and though he doesn't get money he creates he does receive rewards.

But because of his self-created job of travelling globally, it allows him to have contacts all over the globe, and even know people in important positions, from a Brazilian girl who had once requested him to do something about the illegal dumping of trash in the country, to a former Academy City general superintendent who had long since "disappeared" from the public consciousness. He also has connections with the Royal Air Force and has met another globe-trotting father of a certain Special Forces Group platoon leader.

Of course, Tabigake dearly loves his doting daughter and pretty wife which is why he decided that for once, he would show up in the doorsteps of their household and surprise both his wife and his daughter, whom he expected to at least be at home since if he remembered correctly, it's a certain university's foundation week which is why they should have been given a break.

Apparently, that wasn't the case he was expecting.

"Tadaima…" Tabigake boorishly greeted the moment he had opened the door and spotted his wife busy reading some of their financial reports, "I'm home, sweetheart."

"Oh, Tabigake-chan, you're home way too early." Nevertheless, Misuzu sounded happy to see her husband back from his business global trips and quickly gave him a light peck on the cheeks before going to the kitchen to prepare something for the heavily-bearded man. As Tabigake then removes his heavy coat, he then looks around and began to look for a certain someone.

"Mikoto…are you there?!" Tabigake looked a bit depressed when he didn't even get a response, "Mikoto…"

"Tabigake-chan, Mikoto-chan isn't around at the moment," Misuzu smiled sheepishly as she laid a tray of cold water and biscuits to the small table at their living room, "Although I'm somewhat disappointed that she isn't present despite the university foundation, she said that her presence is needed in something important and she said that it's a part of their grades so I don't feel sad about it anymore. Besides me and Shiina-chan had been hanging out in our free times so we have a lot of time to talk about our kids and how they're all grown up now…"

"Kids, huh? Ah…you must mean the son of Touya and that young-looking wife of his," Tabigake remembered the spiky haired boy that her daughter always associates with, "Well, I heard that the high school batch of the boy has been renowned as the best batch to have the highest number of medical nurses in the history of that university. Perhaps, Kamijou-san had graduated to become a good nur—"

"Ah…about that, Tabigake-chan, I think you're all correct except with one thing," Misuzu corrected him, "Misuzu-chan's son didn't took college in Academy City and certainly, he didn't even became a nurse."

Upon hearing the reply, Tabigake's interest somehow piqued as he puts down the glass that he was sipping on, "That's kind of a surprise. Usually, in Academy City, high school students who tend to take their college there would usually apply for their alma mater's college counterpart. Tell me then, do you have any idea where this boy had undertaken his tertiary education?"

Misuzu made a sweet smile before she replied, "He was a top graduate of the National Defense Academy…"

Tabigake nearly spitted his drink the moment he had gotten his reply, "The NDA?! You mean…Japan's most prestigious military academy and one of the best in the whole world?! It takes someone with the brawns and brains to even survive one year there as a plebe! But…" He then trailed a bit, "To be honest, his move is very surprising, considering he's from Academy City. I mean, it's already rare for someone from that city to move outside and it's even rare to have a top NDA graduate who hailed from AC. I was aware of the somewhat frosty rivalry between Anti-Skill and the JSDF armed forces and to some extent, the antagonism that some students and teachers show towards the Japanese government."

"But the boy's a prodigy, judging from what I heard from his mother," Misuzu replied, "Maybe not the prodigy type like our daughter but he excelled on the top of his class. In fact, I heard that he's a part of the JSDF's elite SFG unit. I think they're the same type as those special forces guys that you watch on television."

"Ah…wait a second…" Tabigake turned to face his wife as he suddenly remembers something, "You said the SFG, right?"

"Yes, dear. What's with reaction, though?"

"I just remembered that some months ago," Tabigake began to take a sip in his cold beverage, "There was a brief but controversial news about a combined SFG-Coast Guard patrol in the Sea of Japan when suddenly, they were confronted with an alleged North Korean fishing militia—although the North Korean authorities denied that they were authorized by their KPA officials."

"Well, that seemed to be big news," Misuzu exclaimed, "What's with you bringing this up anyway?"

"It wasn't reported in the broadsheets and television but I heard that some of the SFG personnel involved in the incident are actually either fresh graduates from NDA or they were rookies plucked from the Western Army in Kumamoto," The heavily-bearded man recalled, "In fact, the whole confrontation turned into a small but bloody gunfight and according to my sources, one SFG member and ten of the fishermen were dead when the smoke was cleared."

"That's just so sad." Misuzu commented, "But how come it was kept under wraps from the public?"

"It's probably to stave off any panic from the masses. The last time an incident like this occurred was a decade ago, when the Japanese Coast Guard sunk a North Korean surveillance vessel. Frankly speaking, had this incident grown larger than it should be, the other side won't shut up about rhetorical statements like "Japan Would Pay" or "The Korean People's Army is prepared to do something like this…" etc." Tabigake snorted as he bites his biscuits, "Goddamn kimchis…"

The two then stayed silent for the moment after Tabigake's rant about a certain news concerning Japan's security. The peace was more than enough for the husband, who has been always away from his family, to become attentive to his wife's emotional needs and they were both clinging to each other in silence as the bearded man looks around the house, which have been their home ever since their lone daughter was born. The fact that their daughter isn't at home with them somehow makes the supposed family reunion a bit lonely but Tabigake guessed that his homecoming at this point would have to sufficed, even if he knew that some few days from now, he would have to leave home to travel again worldwide.

"Misuzu?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a feeling that Kamijou Touma will someday change the whole JSDF." Suddenly, Tabigake made a claim that even Misuzu had a hard time swallowing it in her own mind, "Being the soft-hearted fool that my daughter knows as well as NDA alumni, as long as he plays the right cards, he can eventually take the top of the hierarchy of the whole JSDF. Who knows? He can become defense minister."

"There you go again, making such absurd claims," Misuzu giggled, "Are you putting pressure on him?"

Tabigake snorted, "What are you talking about? I don't need to put pressure to him when he himself can conquer it? He has done it already by surviving both Academy City as a Level 0 and the NDA as a cadet. I believe he would do it again."

* * *

For an SFG operator like Kamijou Touma, a strategic planning, which usually takes long for a normal JSDF battalion, seems like it's a blue when in fact, it has been a couple of weeks since they've started to plan for an all-out assault with the IDF special forces in the slums of Nablus, where an arms dealer, regarded as an international terrorist, is holed up with his minions, most of whom are former militants from the Palestinian Hamas.

"So troublesome," Kurata sighed as he looks at the map that they are using for surveillance, "I mean, it's the first time since Japan had fired even a single shout outside their own home turf and just thinking that we're luckily alive from our first encounter makes me nervous for the incoming second one. Can we just ask the guys from the Iraq base to bomb Nablus?"

"Idiot. If we do that, collateral damages would be higher than we expect and we're defeating the purpose of selective strike if we just bomb it as a whole," Kawasaki chided their SFG member, "Besides, I don't think exposing the JSDF that easily would favor us in a long run, politically speaking."

"Hai…hai…I hear you, granny…" Kurata whispered but Kawasaki heard it anyway and the latter proceeded to clobber the razor-cut head of the poor Kurata, who ended up having to use his fists to cover his head against the Roseline's merciless beatings. Kamijou just sighed at their antics. Kawasaki Satsuki might be the nicest female in their SFG platoon but cross her or make any perverted antics and you would find her fists greeting your face in the most unpleasant way someone could imagine. _And I wouldn't want to be on the short end of her sadistic tendencies. _Kamijou shuddered as he briefly reminisced their time as cadets.

"By the way…" Fujima smirked as his eyesight transferred from the map that they were talking about to a certain doll-like figure that was resting into the shoulders of their platoon commander, "Rapisura-san had argued once that ghosts and elves don't exits but it seemed that Kurata's little mistake have proven me wrong on my hypothesis. Although…" He trailed off a bit, "I don't really understand now do I want to know how you and that fuzzyball there on your shoulders even met on the first place…"

"Who are you calling a fuzzyball, you wretched mortal?!" Feeling offended, Othinus didn't bother to hide her presence as she screamed, "I'll have you know that I'm a former Magic God and I can take away your soul anytime…"

"A Magic God that was so tiny that she could fit inside the barrel of an M79 launcher? Yeah, right?" Kurata mocked after nursing his bruised scalp, "Magic God, my ass…"

Kamijou Touma's mind then drifted into a memory lane.

* * *

_Ever since they have been deployed to Israel, Othinus, the former Magic God, has always been kept out of public view—something that was already done by her caretaker since the latter was a plebe during his days as a cadet in the military academy. This was because her caretaker wouldn't risk her safety and security being exposed and in return, Kamijou would have been subjected to a series of psychiatric tests as well as paranormal investigations and a possible disciplinary action that will led him to a suspension and a visit to their Main Administration Building. _

"_Relax, Othinus." Kamijou, at one point, had to explain it to his 'understander.' "This is for your safety and mine's as well."_

_But even then, Othinus's life at the NDA was interestingly boring for her. Being stuck in the room like she was being quarantined for contracting a disease, she nevertheless understood Kamijou's intent for the both of them but at times, she can't help but feel a bit lonely since majority of the times when the sun is visibly up, she spent her time brooding to herself before night time comes—which meant that she can finally enjoy quality times with Kamijou although the night times are as equally rough, seeing that he shares his room with Kurata. Worst, there are times when the two aren't in the quarters because of a drill or an overtime class. If ever there was a time she did managed to go out, it's when Kamijou would go home to visit his family—and Index, who had come to live in the Kamijou Residence. _

_Nevertheless, Othinus did managed to endure it all until the fourth year, when the time for the young man to graduate, albeit with a lot of incidents involving him, with high honors in the academy. The former Magic God thought that she would be able to finally join the boy in the latter's so-called adventure towards war. In some sense, she did get her wish—in a mere three months although she wished she had joined the boy in a patrol drill—or at least, that's what the boy told her—held merely weeks after he and his batchmates graduated. _

_But what she didn't understand is that when the boy got home, he looked a bit depressed and wasn't even speaking with Index and his parents, who looked a bit concerned that their son didn't even touched his food during dinner time. Although he did managed to get over with it—with some help from Kurata and Fujima, who forcefully dragged him to a psychiatrist—she kept questioning the young man, who seemed to have learned the art of evading and diverting questions as he kept mum about what happened to that 'patrol drill' that had him getting dragged forcefully to a headshrinker. _

_Nevertheless, Othinus decided to drop it for now as she was then looking forward to the mission that Kamijou promised to bring her in although the latter seemed a bit nervous as she might be exposed to his platoon one of these days and he would end up freaking them up. Index then shut him up, telling him that he was being a paranoid before he was sent off to Israel._

_But, unbeknownst to him, the days about the concealment of Othinus' presence will be coming to an end._

_It was an ordinary day in the refugee community and Kamijou decided to bring Othinus secretly to a warm spring near the SFG's base. The day wasn't without any incidents, for Misaka and Index kept bothering him about when they are going home, with Fujima again doing what he does best by punching the head of the former. They entered the warm baths together, with people of both Druze and Bedoiun backgrounds steering clear of the two due to Kamijou's look (which wasn't all that scary but it's just that the boonie hat darkens the area at his face and that his tactical vest and his M4 carbine made those in the establishment think twice of confronting him). They made it to a vacated pool peacefully, and the moment he opened the door and entered, he suddenly paused._

"_Neh, Othinus?_

"_Yes, human?"_

"_Are we the only ones who are here?" For some reasons, Kamijou's luck at getting to have the warm baths all by themselves seemed a bit preposterous. "I mean, I just have a feeling that something bad will happen…"_

"_What are you talking, human?" Othinus scolded him, "Everyone here on the warm baths is afraid of you. We're basically having the water to ourselves."_

"_Uhm…okay…I guess you're right, Othinus-chan…"_

"_You're scared, human? Where is the supposed warrior that was trained from the depths of hell?" Othinus taunted her partner, "You're being paranoid."_

"_Shut up," Kamijou shot back, "You should know fully well how potent my right hand is when it comes to bad luck."_

_When they had arrived in the changing rooms, Kamijou had laid down his rifle in a nearby arms depository while he had removed his uniform and replaced it with a towel that he draped it freely in his left shoulder. 'I'm just gonna wear my boxers in the baths.' He thought as he and Othinus then dipped quickly into the warm water. _

"_So relaxing…." The young man had never felt so relaxed for a very long time, "After a lot of hands-on activities as well as dealing with Index and the others, I felt like I can finally give myself some breather."_

"_You're not thinking about your upcoming operation?" Othinus asked in a skeptical tone._

"_We've been talking about that since morning so give me a break," Kamijou snorted, "Besides, if I just have a choice, I wouldn't even come here in the first place. Makes me think twice as to what's the purpose of the IDF Sayeret if we're asked to come here."_

"_You say those things human but knowing you, you would have liked to come here to help other people and besides, without your being here, would you be able to save your former classmate from being raped?" _

_That statement instantly ended the brief argument. _

_Soon after, a few of those who have vacated the area began to return immediately after feeling that it was already 'safe' to come back to the bathhouse. Although the clerks and the people at the desk resumed their own business, the pool was still largely avoided and thus, Kamijou Touma and Othinus was able to chat and enjoy to themselves peacefully. The former then reminisced his younger days in Academy City, with Othinus telling him that she was the reason why he survived his whole three years in that place. _

_Unknown to them, a single man was currently running in the narrow street-like path towards the same bathhouse. Quickly putting down his assault rifle on the counter as well as his clothes, the man made a beeline towards pool of lukewarm water and that's when it happened._

_The man was blindingly fast that even before Kamijou cam react to the loud footsteps of the incoming intruder, the latter had already jumped into the warm bath like he was jumping into the pool and he tackled the pointy-haired young man, who nearly choked in the water as he struggled to free himself from the man's grip. _

"_Kurata?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Kamijou frantically asked as he pointed at his colleague, who just made a peace sign to him as if he was deliberately mocking him. But before Kamijou can further protest, the gate crasher seemed to have been muted as he didn't even answer the question of their captain when suddenly, he heard what looked like muffled sounds coming from the mouth of his subordinate._

_And it didn't even sound close enough to a male vocal sound._

'_N-No-Noooo!' Kamijou mentally screamed as he was already too late to try and keep the existence of his guardian a secret as Kurata quickly pulled out what he thought was a non-living doll out of his mouth and before he can even say something, Othinus already ran her mouth, unaware of who was really holding her, "Damn it, human! Do you really have to shove me in your mouth when you could have just—" _

_She stopped midway in her rant when she realized that Kamijou wasn't even holding her. _

_She looked to the man, whose sight widened like saucers, "Ah…hello there, human…"_

"_You…you…" Kurata's brain began to spin wildly as he looks at Othinus and his commander back-and-forth, "Dammit, Fujima must pay up! I won the bet!" He then jumped up from the pool, with a struggling Othinus still in his hands. _

"_H-Hey, give her back to me!" Kamijou managed to jump out of the warm pool as well, "Look Kurata, it would be best not to…"_

"_Oi, Kurata, baby boy, what the hell is happening here? Your voices can be heard from outside, you know…"_

_Suddenly, Kamijou Touma and Kurata Rikichi found themselves facing an irritated Kawasaki Satsuki and some of their men in the Special Forces Group and like the two friends, they seemed to came here to relax as well. _

"_And by the way…" Kawasaki shot a look at the 'doll' in Kurata's hands, "Did I just hear that talk as well?"_

'_Oh crap…' Kamijou Touma's worst nightmare came true._

_And from then on, Othinus' life with her understander was never the same before._

* * *

"Shut up, you wretched mortal!" Othinus couldn't forget the fact that she got swallowed up in the mouth of Kurata. The brief outburst of the former Magic God-turned-doll snapped her understander out of his trip to a memory lane.

"Make me…" Kurata faked a yawn as he fishes out a box of Golden Bat-branded cigarettes and began to smoke.

"I never pegged you as a smoker-type of guy…" Kawasaki deadpanned as she looks a bit disgusted at the brand of sticks that her kouhai is smoking.

"I rarely smoke," the guy being question defended himself as he quickly finishes his first stick and is now on the process of lighting up another stick.

_Yeah, I never thought you smoke this quick. Makes me think you're worse than Stiyl. _Kamijou himself isn't a fan of cigarettes. Suddenly, something about the presence of Othinus then made him remember another stuff that he needed to focus on.

"Hey guys, let me exit for a while," Kamijou excused himself, "I needed to speak to some of the people out there that know personally."

The SFG operators present didn't need to know who their platoon commander is referring to as they were just a stone's throw away from their position.

"And please…what you see and hear, just leave it within us…"

* * *

Meanwhile, the weeks went by and by this time, all of the Academy City girls were slowly adjusting to their new environment at Meiko. For Fukiyose Seiri, it was the usual stuff like their medical and humanitarian mission, the need to keep their two idiots in Tsuchimikado and Aogami under her tight leash. At the moment, she just finished her last day in her 'special training' with a certain old man World War II veteran and right now, she is taking a break beside their clinic together with Himegami, the two idiots, Kumokawa, Yomikawa, and the three youngsters in Misaka, Shokuhou, and Index, who is eating more than the usual average human appetite.

Apart from doing their usual operations in their clinic, Fukiyose, and sometimes, her best friend as well, served as a teacher and a senpai-figure to both the 3rd and 5th ranked Espers as she was hands-on in teaching both former Tokiwadai students the things they needed to learn in nursing and basic surgery and they had reached a point where they could help her in simple tasks such as extracting blood samples from their patients as well as cleaning up mortar shrapnel and wounds inflicted by projectiles. The first couple tries were a bit off though and the Mental Out had to be especially guided as she was especially fidgety with some of the tools being used, such as the scalpel and the needle. But, aiming to be the hard-worker that she wanted to project and really wanting to best Misaka and impress her prince, Shokuhou continued to practice using life-sized dummy corpse and not before long, she was able to find her own confidence in her medical abilities, even though it was a bit similar to their mentor.

And Fukiyose was glad for this. Shokuhou, while getting pressured at the start, didn't seem like she'd murder her for the somewhat harsh training but maybe it was because she had something else to direct all her energies on.

In Kumokawa Seria's case, life at Kiryat Shmona base seemed to be a sight (literally because of the environment around them) to behold at best and an everyday-nightmare at worst. As their stay in the community base further passes, the Beauty Senpai realized that there isn't a day in the JSDF party wherein security isn't always discussed. For instance, both the JSDF blue helmets and the JSDF-SFG led by her former kouhai would always meet up and go outside the walls of the base just to check and spot for any unusual activity. Even then, she knew that this situation, despite being a new experience for the Japanese humanitarian group, isn't a taboo for both the Israeli security forces and their Japanese counterparts, the former for obvious reasons and the latter because they were trained, especially the SFG, for situations like this. While the rest of the delegates that came here had already went back to Japan, she and veteran Kikuchi Kouji decided to stay here for an unlimited number of time. She deduced that the old geezer must have felt a bit sentimental as she sees him speaking with a number of junior officers from the JGSDF Blue Helmets and that she knew his connection with a certain former spiky-haired kouhai and how he was trained by the World War II veteran on the lessons on sharp shooting and sniping as well as holding a gun in the most efficient and deadly way. After all, both had ties with the National Defense Academy, where this certain kouhai of hers graduated and unlike a certain university (or any school in Academy City), the NDA treats everyone equally at least until their fourth year and that they do recognize every person that fought for the sake of Japan's security—as long as they weren't connected to any crimes involving the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy in the second great war.

And as far as Kumokawa heard, Kikuchi never partook in any crimes similar to the heinous Nanjing Massacre (which the Japanese government, sadly, hasn't even made an effort to apologize formally for that event) and instead, became renowned as the "Yellow Death" for bravely holding the defense line in Okinawa and taking a bounty of more than 300 US GIs killed—a feat that earned him the respect of not only the next generation of Japanese military servicemen but even their American enemies.

Right now, she was busy drinking a glass of shaved orange juice that she ordered from a nearby store ran by former refugees from neighboring places as she sat with all the Academy City girls pas well as their senseis in Yomikawa and the timid Tessou Tsuzuri, who look fatigued as she was slouching on the monobloc chair.

In turned out that after learning that her former student had learned his craft and expertise on the old man, Yomikawa had then decided to secretly pester Kikuchi for some pointers although she never got to see the veteran whenever she's free. It got to the point where Tessou suggested that he must be a ninja for he managed to elude the two Anti-Skill officers stationed there.

"Poor Yomikawa-sensei…" Kumokawa mocked her as they all sat in the table while enjoying themselves with their free time, "Maybe you can seduce him in one of the bathhouses available here."

"Kumokawa…even I have my own pride and image to maintain…" the Anti-Skill officer grits her teeth, "I'm not that too low to resort to such lecherous acts."

"By the way, Kamijou-kun has been quite busy lately…" Himegami cut in, wanting to divert the discussion from the lewd topic that came out of Kumokawa's mouth to a more, cleaner one, "I mean, he rarely talks to either Misaka-san, the nun with us, or even Seiri here…"

"He's got a job too," the Iron Wall Girl didn't even look up as she was drinking a carton of Musashino milk, "And considering that his job deals with decisions concerning life and death, he can't simply slack off or take away his focus for the moment."

"But we also deal with decisions concerning life and death…" Himegami replied.

"But you all do it in a different way," Kumokawa rested her left cheek in her palm, "Fukiyose-chan saves lives by healing them like what you do every day. Kamijou-chan saves lives by…well, I don't know how to exactly put it in words but rather than saying that he kills people, I will say that he keeps people in Japan safe by using force…"

No one noticed a faint smile appearing on the Forehead Deluxe's face, "That's why we can all sleep safely at night, knowing that someone like him will keep protecting us."

"But he still killed people, whatever the reason is," Misaka frowned, "Look, it's not that I don't object to it but to be frank, it just doesn't sound like him. I mean, I knew him since seven years ago and…"

"Correction: You only know my prince for just three years. The next four years is like a blank period for us," Shokuhou refuted, "We all don't know what happened in those four years that made him into the soldier that he is today but one thing is certain: a lot of things changed. Didn't he already told you that a lot of things would eventually change and one year alone can drastically transform a person, whether good or bad?"

"Wait…you were listening to our conversation back then?" Misaka's face reddened as she got a bit embarrassed and angry at the same time.

The blonde Mental Out licked her lips as she pointed cutely at Misaka, "I'm not only sharp, Misaka san; I'm also all-knowing."

"But short hair is right!" Index suddenly comes to the defense of the brunette Railgun, "It's very unlikely for Touma to kill as he was too innocent to do that and besides, it's very sinful…"

"So you call someone holding an M4 carbine at all times and came from a brutal military academy innocent?" Yomikawa replied, "Only someone who is too naïve to see how this world works would see something like that as innocent. In fact, he admitted that he somehow admired the way Israelis do their urban tactics, which is said to be the most cost-effective but the least safe for civilians getting caught in a crossfire and that's hardly what you call innocent. Besides, you two have already come to terms with Kamijou's career already, no?"

"We accept it but it didn't mean that we like it," Misaka huffed.

"So you did come to terms with it…somehow…" Kumokawa chuckled as she sips her juice, "By the way, did Mitsuari-san knows about this? I feel a bit bad for her since we made it look like we left her hanging in the dark…"

* * *

Somewhere in a certain university, a chocolate-haired college student suddenly sneezed violently.

* * *

"She also chose nursing like us although…" Shokuhou poked chin as if she was thinking very deeply of something, "I doubt if she knew anything about Kamijou-san's career, considering that she spent most of her time in the Reformatory during our high school days."

"Less opponent, more chances of helping that idiot…" Misaka muttered rather loudly.

Everyone gave her a look.

"Always the helper that he needs," Shokuhou laughed cutely, ignoring the cries of protest from the Railgun, "But of course, I would also help him when he is in need."

"Uhm…that's quite nice to hear from you, honey-scent lady."

Everyone turned their heads at the source of the new voice and to their delight, it was the none other than the subject of their discussion. Kamijou Touma, who just came out from their meeting, suddenly appeared before they even knew it.

"Seemed like you're in your battle garbs again," Fukiyose raised her brows at the fatigue pants, a chest rig and vest topping over a plan, white t-shirt rather than a camouflage shirt, his usual M4 carbine although the females noticed that it had no magazine attached to it, and a leg holster with his .45 pistol.

"It's something serious which is why we're wearing this," Kamijou replied, looking for a free seat. Seeing this opportunity, Fukiyose quickly offered the lone free seat on her left side even before Misaka can open her mouth to ask Index to move one seat away so the seat besides the Railgun can be freed up.

"Thanks Fukiyose," Kamijou said as he laid down his rifle, "By the way, how is your day and how did you do training this next batch of nurses?"

"Their doing fine, I guess." The brown-eyed young woman replied, "In fact, they absorb what I teach to them like sponges."

"And Seiri's a hands-on teacher. She keeps an eye on the two of them so that she'll know immediately when something wrong happens or if they're doing it quite wrong," Himegami further explained.

"That's good to hear," Kamijou looked a bit swamped as he slumps on the floor, "I miss my college grounds…"

"What?"

"I just feel nostalgic about my days in the academy," Kamijou's mind was traveling in a memory lane, "I mean, when I was still a cadet, I use to complain how the drills were a bit hellish and me and the others were wondering if the COs were secretly all demons reincarnated. But…I guess that now I'm working, I was thankful that I already experienced hell back in the NDA for I had now understood what it really means to be a soldier—much more, as a special forces member."

"But university back in Academy City is so boring," Misaka groaned, catching everyone's attention, "Lectures are very boring and I don't even know if I'm going to use it in nursing career."

"You say that because you aren't even working yet," Kamijou replied, "Trust me, even if they're boring, try to endure it because it would pay off in the long run. In fact, you actually had it easy and aside from the fact that you got your privileges as a Level 5 Esper, you have probably have nicer professors there who would be glad to help you."

"As if you don't have those kinds of teachers there…" The Railgun huffed.

"Anything less than getting pushed down in the shores of Yokosuka and drills would be something merciful," Kamijou shrugged, "That's the reason why a lot of plebes gives up even before they can march onto the second year."

"By the way, Touma? Why do you barely speak with us in the past few days?" Index made it sound like the behavior of the lone boy in the table is suspicious. Hearing that, Kamijou momentarily flinched for a second as the others had funny expressions in their faces while Misaka seemed murderous.

"Increased security and the fact that we have an operation coming soon," Kamijou cooly said, "If you weren't all aware, there were some recent rocket attacks in the eastern part of Israel that was reported immediately to every unit available. Since we cannot rely on the IDF as they're stationed faraway from where we are, we had to make sure that everyone here is safe and secured."

The afternoon break continued with some fun after that, with all the girls relieved that they need not to worry over the young man's safety.

* * *

_Later that night…_

"Phew…everyone is asleep Othinus…well, get prepared, we're leaving for Nablus early in the morning…"

"You don't have to remind me, human! I'll be more than welcome to any poor enemies whose blood will be shed and flesh that will be sacrificed for my war-hungry appetite."

"No need to be visual about it. I'm starting to throw up right now…"

It was already past 12 in midnight when Kamijou Touma is now busy preparing his equipment that he would need in a fierce urban warfare with militants in a certain area at Nablus. Quickly checking and rechecking his M4 carbine while attaching the reflex sights of his rifle, his hands were pretty fast as he was already loading his STANAG magazines with fresh 5.5645mm NATO ammunition that was delivered to their base a few days back. Specifically, he was using the M855 variant because the latter is designed for armor-piercing and based from the reports they have received from their Israeli counterparts, most militants that they're likely to encounter had smuggled Ratnik body armor.

After checking all the equipment that he will need, Kamijou puts Othinus in his magazine pouch and quickly made his way outside his quarters to meet with his fellow SFGs. The moment he got outside, he was already met by his platoon whose men, like Kamijou himself, were also wearing dark jeans, rubber sneakers, and black t-shirts instead of their camouflage attire.

"Yo, Cappy, the guys from the other line has arrived," Kurata clutched his own M4 carbine as they spotted several IDF Sayeret operators, all wearing black balaclavas, had arrived for a last-minute orientation, "Though unfortunately…"

"Yeah. I asked Kawasaki-san, Yamashita-san, and Okazaki-san to stay behind since someone had to look after this place," Kamijou explained, "They don't need to do any recon stuff for us although we can send them a quick message if, God forbid, something bad happens to all of us. Right now, I'm going to review some things: basically, we'll have to catch any possible Japanese syndicate members who are involved with this arms smuggling ring. We'll retrieve anything that legally belongs to Japan and as for that arms smuggler chief—I think the other party would want to handle it themselves. According to Cohen, they'll be the spearhead while we're the shaft. Nevertheless, if that guy shoots at you, don't hesitate and shoot back. We clear?"

"Yes, captain!" Every Japanese male from his small but capable platoon as eventually, they join their IDF counterparts, who used civilian trucks instead of their usual Namer or Achzarit heavy APCs.

_This will be a long and tiring morning. _Kamijou groaned. _I hope we finished this already before Misaka-san and the others knew that we have been long gone into a bloody battle. That way, they don't have to risk themselves… _

* * *

"Hmph...it seems that the SFG platoon of Kamijou Touma has started to move to the point of engagement..."

From a random location somewhere in Israel, Stiyl Magnus lit another stick of cigarettes as he watched a column of trucks file quietly in the dirt road.

"Do we start moving as well, Stiyl?"

The fire mage priest stomped the burnt cancer stick on the soil.

"Marie, Mallybath, and Jane would be coming here in a short moment," the red head said. "After they arrived, it's time that we move quickly, Kanzaki."


End file.
